Rider of Rohan
Some time ago, I happened to be staying with friends. Their home is over a century old, and was built near the field of the Battle of Scary Creek, fought during our Civil War. One night, I found myself experiencing a bit of insomnia, and began to explore my room. I must confess that having read too many storybooks, I had no other thought than to find a secret room or at the least a secret compartment filled with treasure. While looking at the fireplace, I noticed that one of the floorboards was loose-jointed. After several unsuccessful attempts to pull it up with my fingers, I found a knife and thus pried it open. A flashlight revealed a hollow about four inches deep that ran the length and width of the floor. At last I had found something. It was not a pile of gold, it was a worn book, an old diary. I pulled it out and replaced the floorboard. All thoughts of sleep gone, I stayed up until the early morning reading it. My hosts had no interest in the journal, and it has been in my possession for many years now.
With all of the recent interest in Tolkein's histories of Middle Earth, I have decided to publish it here for all to read. Any comments of my own will be enclosed in brackets. ([ ]) At present, I have decided to publish only the last half, as it is more interesting and faster paced. If, however, people enjoy reading it, I may publish the first half as well, which tells a bit about the author and how she came to be in Middle Earth. It is well worth reading, but I have decided to start with this part.
Some time ago, I happened to be staying with friends. Their home is over a century old, and was built near the field of the Battle of Scary Creek, fought during our Civil War. One night, I found myself experiencing a bit of insomnia, and began to explore my room. I must confess that having read too many storybooks, I had no other thought than to find a secret room or at the least a secret compartment filled with treasure. While looking at the fireplace, I noticed that one of the floorboards was loose-jointed. After several unsuccessful attempts to pull it up with my fingers, I found a knife and thus pried it open. A flashlight revealed a hollow about four inches deep that ran the length and width of the floor. At last I had found something. It was not a pile of gold, it was a worn book, an old diary. I pulled it out and replaced the floorboard. All thoughts of sleep gone, I stayed up until the early morning reading it. My hosts had no interest in the journal, and it has been in my possession for many years now.
With all of the recent interest in Tolkein's histories of Middle Earth, I have decided to publish it here for all to read. Any comments of my own will be enclosed in brackets. ([ ]) At present, I have decided to publish only the last half, as it is more interesting and faster paced. If, however, people enjoy reading it, I may publish the first half as well, which tells a bit about the author and how she came to be in Middle Earth. It is well worth reading, but I have decided to start with this part.