Lin Giliath

PART 1: THE SEARCH FOR GILDOR INGLORIEN

~The Court of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel~

'Neldordil, I have a task for you,' said Galadriel to her chief tracker.

'You need only ask, Lady,' he answered.

After fleeing Fornost, King Arvedui and his family found refuge behind the walls of Minas Vrûn. Thorneth and Dínendír arrived a short while after them with the soldiers who had come from the city to the King’s aid. The Guardsman took her into a House of Healing so her wounds could be treated. Fortunately, Amarthiel’s blade had no fell sorceries upon it unlike the Witch-king’s Morgul-knives, and one of the healers told her she would recover fully with some rest.

It is not my custom to focus as intently as I have on the passage of time these past forty days, and yet my experience has become that of a smoke-filled bubble; where previously I would have been content to merely observe events unfold and meditate on them, I now find the bubble has burst and my energies have begun to diffuse into a collective environment of toil and mutual duty.

I read again what I wrote the evening after initial training; much of it bears a bittersweet pang. My attempts to capture an intensely complicated emotional situation in far-too-brief prose are clumsy at best. It is at times such as these when I envy the short-lived races. Though I cannot say I share their minds, I do find their resilience admirable and desirable. As one of the Eldar, I am granted time incomprehensible to those who do not share my longevity, and yet after what would be generations to Men, I still find it a challenge to write on my departure.

... I find myself in a rough countryside - leaving the foot of Amon Sûl behind me, crossing a swift-flowing stream, I let Carnirocco* climb the steep hills. It seems the surrounding area is infested by Orc bands; the Dúnedan was right. Shortly after noon I encounter a group of Men camping by a hill, without much shelter in this barren land.

"Wake up, you bleedin' lazy scumbag!" There was a roar over the din as the Thorny Rose opened her eyes to find herself chain to a post in an uncomfortable standing postion.
"I said wake UP!" Another roar. Then the sound of flesh striking flesh and Carlotta raised her head, dazed by the grimy, dirty fist that proceeded to punch her in the cheek.