Estarfin

It ends like this. Apparently.

The pain is unbearable. It burns as if Nirhen has spent the days swallowing hot coals, and fills her head and throat as if now she is choking on the smoke they let off as they eat away at her insides. She had never really considered what the ending of this might be, and now, watching them flutter like frantic birds around their golden-haired Lord, it is worse than anything they have done so far.

When I came back to the place we were given to rest in Caras Galadhon, there was no one here. I had no idea where to find lord Estarfin, and so I took the time to care for my instrument. I was playing a melody when I was finally joined by the others.

It was nice to be able to play once again without a care in the world. Without wondering if the sound was attracting beasts or men to us. I'd have kept on playing if lord Veryacano didn't joined us as well to talk of what we were going to do.

We reached Lórien, and found great reason to praise the Gracious Lady, who had watched over and guided us through her land, unto the present hour, and had food, beds, and everything else, neat and clean. In the Wood, I found a lively and generous people, many of whom were hungering and thirsting for news outside their little land. I obliged them with tales of our ventures south, and wandered round the place, in all the high and low places, talking to whomever I could find.

"There must be another set of bellows, surely? Search the whole city if you have to!" Estarfin snarled the last command at the wide-eyed assistant, pointing out of the door of the crafting hall as he did so. Nodding briefly, the brown-haired Elf almost fled from the forge, keen to distance himself from such anger. Left alone finally, and dressed only in his old boots, filthy trousers and undershirt, Estarfin turned back to the forge with a determined expression. He would repair the shield; he must.

Believing that Lord Anglachelm was taken north towards the Southern Greenwood, we made shift as well as we could to reach the Great River through the bluffs of the Horse-Men, and after a day of hard travel, we arrived at a hillside overlooking a camp. It was full of swarthy Easterlings, and by a gilt-fringed tent stood a tall and robust Man, with dark, expressive eyes, and a sneering countenance.

Numerous beyond counting, the stars reflected upon the surface of the lake could have been a second sky, so clear was the image. Watching them in silence brought a sense of peace to Estarfin such as he had not felt for a long time. His breathing was slow, his coarse hair shifting slightly in the cool breeze that rippled across the surface of the water. As he stared at the black mirror bathed in starlight, memories came to the forefront of his mind of Lake Helevorn in the green lands of Thargelion and the joys of an all-too-brief childhood spent upon the shore.

This evening, as we crept through the woods of the Horse-men, we found a cache of supplies, abandoned we think, or stolen from a village, more likely. We stole it back, and decided to keep the goods ourselves, for safe-keeping. Inside we discovered dried beef, and cheeses, all unspoiled, and in another crate, many bottles of wine, young and harsh red. We were mighty glad of this treat, and it was a stroke of good luck to get it; for we had near run out of supplies, and we had not had any wine for many days - none since I left the Valley.

I have made too many observations on Men in my wanderings throughout the lands, and I have found that many are imbued with an instinct of cruelty, if I may call it an instinct. Their hearts are strange to us; and while it is true that there are, in every people, exceptions to the rule, in my travels through the Eastern Wilds, I have found Men who do not possess a natural delight in distress and horror to be woefully few.

They moved quickly from the deep shadows and despair of the dungeons into a small courtyard full of broken stone. Belegos led them out, moving with almost indecent haste to escape what they had done, had been forced to do. As he reached the middle of the courtyard he seemed to realise his mistake, as his sharp eyes scanned the empty windows and rough holes that had been delved into the high walls surrounding the open space. Nothing stirred in the silence, but the scout did not let his guard down.

We have done the Dun-men abundance of mischief, and we went against Grimbold’s wishes, and crossed the Isen when he forbid it. But he is not our lord to command us, and we go whither we will – that is, until now.

Tonight, we were set upon by a herd of Horse-men, and they surrounded us, and aiming their bows and spears at our throats, commanded us to lay down our weapons, because their king does not abide strangers wandering the land without his leave.