Far Afield, or Across the DistanceBeing the Correspondence of Two Assistant Healers from Minas Tirith and Dol Amroth
Dear Linnath,
It is wonderful to watch the sun rise with out its spender being marred by the red glow Mordor. It is like the sky was washed clean after a horrible storm, a storm that lasted for many, many years. The whole city is happier; it is much more obvious that before you left. Singing and dancing, even thought the majority of the city is in rubble still.
Pelennor Fields has at last been cleared of the remains of the war; though the ruts and ridges will be years in fading. I no longer have to be afraid, when going out to gather plants and herbs, of coming across a decaying carcass of some person in a hollow in the ground.
I am in my room above the main healing area. I used my last candle the other night so I write by the light from our window. Every one else is a sleep still even though the sun has already reached the fourth level. Oh Linnath, it is so good, good to be free of the shadow, I don't remember a time then it wasn't there. During the first months after the war I kept thinking that it would come back, that I would wake up in the morning and it would be that as always. But its not, it is gone forever!
I'm glad you had a good voyage, with no storms. The only time I ever went on a ship there was a storm and I got horribly sick. I was nine and have been fearful of ships ever since. Do you not find it strange how one experience like that can affect you?
It is good to know Ilarren and I gave you some information that was useful! Though he is the better one at strategic defenses and ballistae. He was very grateful to you for listening to him when he talked about those things. Usually people snub him or aren't interested. (Ilarren is fully healed, but as you predicted the moon shaped scar he has on his shoulder is not fading. He swears it twitches when it's going to rain.)
Your mentioning the Lady Lothiriel's moping behavior reminded me of some thing that I noticed at the funeral of Theoden king. I though it strange at the time but I forgot about it in those hectic days after. All during the funeral the lady kept glancing at Eomer king, very subtly of course. And, Lord Eomer glanced at her a few times. Once their eyes met and the lady blushed horribly. I hope they are not in love, which would be awful for her ladyship. I cannot help remembering how it turned out with Lord Denethor and Lady Finduilas. (And I do not think the Lord Eomer is that ugly; he is just not as handsome as lord Boromir, May the Valar guide his spirit.)
Linnath, the most awful thing has happened! You know I share a room with Yavna and the terrible Twins. Well, as I was writing this letter I heard voices in the street, that sounded exactly like the Twins. But that was impossible they were still in their bed, I could see the bumps in the cover. So I leaned out the window to see, and knocked the pot of those horrible red carnations of the sill, right out into the street. The speakers looked up, it was Elspeth and Retainer. One of them (probably Elspeth) hissed at me to be more careful. I was going to shout some thing back at them but I remembered in time that I do not want to wake Gwendolyn up be for the sun reaches the seventh level. So I ran down the flight of stairs that lead street, not wanting to wake the people that were here for various reasons. And I promptly stepped through my best sleeping gown.
The twins and I had a long and very intense conversation. To say the least. You see they found out that the Elf walks every morning in the palace garden just at the sun hits the second level. They spied on him! I was disgusted. They are so rude! I hate rude people, they are as bad as dishonest ones! We were almost shouting at each other when Grandmother Ioreth came out in her nightgown. She immediately saw my ruined gown, said it looked like Pelennor Fields (all rutted and gauged) and sent me up to my room to mend it. Then told the Terrible Twins to help her with a woman who just came in with an ill child. I believe she gave them a through scolding, after she worked the story out of them, because I could hear her all the way up here.
My gown is ruined past repair, so I will send you the lace that was around the collar. I remember you saying that your mother would love the pattern, as she sometimes makes lace. You are so lucky the have a family, I barely remember my parents. All I have is Grandmother and Ilarren, who is almost like a brother to me.
Perhaps you do not know this, as you left the day after the Rohirrim, but the lady Eowyn did not leave with her brother. The King asked her to stay, he said she wasn't well enough to leave yet. She looked fine to me, but then our new king was raised with the greatest healer in Middle-Earth. Any way, the lady Eowyn came here yesterday; there is some thing bitter sweet about her. As if she feels she has done something incredibly stupid, and is not sure if she deserves to come out as well as she apparently has. She was very quiet while grandmother Ioreth examined her, all healed of course. (I don't understand why king Elessar wanted her to stay.) Then grandmother left, but the lady seemed hesitant to go. She asked my how old I was, but seemed uncomfortable when I told her I was only 16. I did end up just chatting to her while I was doing my chores. I told her about how you compared me to the elf, and she laughed! She has a beautiful laugh; funny how I have never heard it before. Then she said that the resemblance stopped there. She told me about the battle at Helmsdeep and later in Meduseld and some trouble that Elf got into. She is very right; I really am nothing like him. But she seemed in a better mood; the bitter part was gone, along with the semblance of doubt. She thanked me and left. I do like her a lot, Linnath.
There, the sun has reached the seventh level, Yavna will be waking soon and if she finds me writing she will harass me. She scorns any thing that has to do with reading and writing because she cannot read and write.
There are ships coming and going between our cities much more that in the old days, and for that I am glad.
Farewell, mellon nin
May the wind always fill your sails! (I believe that is the proper salutation for a daughter of Dol Amroth, is it not?)
Eleiel