The rain was falling heavy on the large roof of the convent. Balisan was sitting in the scriptorium, his working chamber in the tower of the large building. Bent over stacks of paper, he was absorbed in his work, not noticing the flickering of the candle in the slight draught that moved through the room caused by the freshen wind outside.
Slowly, the flame was licking through the edges of the candle on the side to which the draught was pushing the flame. With a sudden splash a drop of wax fell on Balisan's parchment, who in utter surprise jumped up, before letting out a silent curse and pulling the parchment further away from the candle. After a few minutes, the candle wax was luckily cold enough to be removed without harming the parchment, yet a brown-yellowish stain remained.
The parchment was a map of Rhudaur and the stain was covering a particular spot in the North of the region, at the borders to the lands which were known as the Ettenmoors. While Balisan saw this, he did not think much of it, though soon he would understand its meaning entirely.
Balisan went down the stairs from the scriptorium for he suddenly realized how hungry and thirsty he was. After a few sips of wine, and a few bites of bred with some slices of cheese, he went back up and continued his work, yet soon fell asleep at his desk.
He was woken by the chirping of birds, and the sun lighting up the room. The storm had passed, and the sky looked as if nothing had ever happened, drying the wet lands quickly. As he went down again to wash his face, he thought how much he enjoyed his new life.
He liked Arrowhaven well enough. It was a young village with good people. The convent and its work made up the centre of the community and while most members of the order had bought their own land in the village, Balisan had moved into the convent. He loved the high walls of the halls, the silence and serenity. It reminded him of home. So he spent most of his times studying scriptures and parchments that him and the Lady had acquired in the short time. Some of them, the Lady had brought from the Elven lands, some given by Lord Elrond of Rivendell. Others were from his own library in Belfalas, others again from places near and far, Esgaroth, Minas Tirith, Edoras, Tinnundir, and Bree.
He spent most days in the scriptorium studying text of old, for news continuously reached the Order of dark events occurring all over Eriador. And so Balisan learned about their history, geography, secrets, myths, and most of all, about the dark power that began to rise again in the North and East.
Balisan had learnt that some evil of old was stirring in Rhudaur. More and more trolls were being sighted in the Trollshaws, and even word of dark riders crossing the lands had reached the Order. However it seemed a different matter was of more pressing nature for the Order at the moment. The reunion of an Elvish Lord by the name of Galadhad of Lindon with his daughter, who the Order had known as Fairlain, was to be tonight.
At that thought, he heard voices from below, and made his way downstairs, where he joined the others, who were preparing the halls for the arrival. As he was storing away the parchments on the table in the great hall, his gaze suddenly fell on what seemed to be an old map. Absorbed by the information the parchment offered him, a new thought entered his mind, and he immediately searched the table for any other text or scripture that would be of help. He barely noticed how the Elven Lord arrived, and as he was standing next to the table, observing the ceremony of the Elf's welcoming, he repeatedly scanned over the table.
After he was introduced to Galadhad and had given his words of thank to the Ranger Andufion, he quickly returned to his scriptorium. He had taken the map with him, and now he would look for that missing piece of information, which might explain it all.
In the middle of his search, as he was just reading about some chronicles of the Second Age, the Lady Alkawen entered the room with worrying news. Fairlain and Sir Turgur, who was to escort her, had not yet arrived. They quickly debated the options and possibilities of what could have happened and what could be done, and finally agreed that they needed to send out scouting parties to look for the two.
Balisan quickly took up his sword, which was laying on a chest in the corner, to join the effort. Yet as he and the Lady exited the convent, the smell of burning wood hit them hard. And in the distance, the glow of fire and the rising darkness of smoke alarmed them. The Inn was burning…
