Kaida awoke roughly from her tortured nightmares. Dusk had fallen; her three companions slept deeply a few paces away. She could see Legolas' blank eyes glinting with the light of distant stars, staring off in some far-off waking dream. Such was the fashion of the Elves.
What was I doing?
She crossed her legs and sat up. A crisp plains wind bit through her bone armor and leather jerkin, rustling through the trees as it swept past.
Oh yes.
She remembered the exchange between herself and the old tree before her.
It was very old. It's name was something long…
'Tree-who-has-grown-from-a-small-seed-brought-far-by-wind-from-distant-forest-over-the-hills-where-limbs-grow-thin-and-strong-with-thick-bark-and-slender-leaves-that-turn-gold-and-fall-as-the-sun-moves-and-the-great-cold-seeps-over-the-land,-causing-the-forests-to-go-bare-as-the-frames-of-dead-creatures-after-many-summers-in-the-southern-lands-very-far-away.' [1]
Or something akin to that.
She struggled to recall the basic information she had gathered. She had asked few questions, and had despaired at the extensively detailed answers.
'Tree-from-small-seed-from-distant-land-very-far-away, have you heard mention of the creature called the hobbit? The creatures I speak of may have passed by here, and my companions and I have need of finding them."
The tree had mused over her short words a very long time before answering in it's long, creaking tones.
"You speak haaastilyyyyy, Bird-that-is-girl-from-far-lands-where-the-air-is-sweet-and-the-trees-grow-tall-who-is-wiser-than-her-years-and-yearns-for-something-she-does-not-know-of-until-the-entwives-make-their-journey-to-the-nearer-lands-and-sing-once-again-in-the-times-of-peace. [2]. Iiiii have feeel-t a deep stiiiiring in myyy rootsss which haaaave nooot mooo-oov-ed in a ver-y long tiiime. Ooooorcs caaaame, they hackeeeed and saaaawed aaat the liiiiiimbs of myyy kindreeeee-d. They feeeelled liiive limbsssss-s, ans saaaaaaaawed thaaa-aat of which-ch-h theeeey shoullll-d noot. Theeeeeeey brough-hght a pair of sma-a-llish creeatuuuures, the like of who-om I have no-o-t seen be-fore once in my ma-nyyy long w-i-n-ters. They cliiiiiiiimbed on theeeeir little…. What do yooooooour kiting cal-l them? Little stumped thing-gs…'
'Legs?' she had asked, impatient for a true answer.
'Ah, ye-es. Legs. Straa-ange things, legs. Oddly gro-own things. Mo-ost peculiar. May-be I sh-a-ll groooow a paaaair myseeeeeeeeelf… most peculiar. Ind-eeeeed. Yes, well, they scra-bbled ver-y ha-stilly o-ver the smaller plantiiings, (May-beee too hastillley. You two-leg-gs are ver-y hasty. All-waaaaays trying to gooo somewh-e-r-e. Aaaaand whaat do you doooooooo when you geeeeet there? You speeeeeeeend your tiiiiiime fiddliiiiiing and fumbliiiiiiiiiing with your little top-leeeeeeeeeegs. Srange things, toooooooop-legs, straaaaaange braaaaaanches, yoooooooooooour kind haaaaaaaaaaave.) And… what was I sayyyyingggg… Top-legs, bottom-leeeeeegs, …Strange thiiiiings, bottom-legs….
'Yes, very strange things.' Rima agreed quickly.
'I believe you were telling me where the hobbits were?'
'Ah, yeeees. Theeeeeeeeeeey met someooooooone, someooone ver-r-y oooooold, very oooooooold indeeeeeed. Theeeeeeeeeeeeeey left wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith the ooooold one. Saaaaaaaaaafe in the tithers, theeeeeeeeey aaaaaaaaaare. I -harumph- am glad theeeeeeeey are, tooooo. I don't knooooooooooow howw-w they suu-uurv-ive with tho-ose thin bark-skins o-o-o-of theeeirs. Tooooo delicaaaaaaaaaaate. You muuuuuust grow a thiiiiiiiiiick baaaaaark-skiiiiin of yooooour oooooooown, Bird-that-is-girl-from-far-lands-where-the-air-is-sweet-and-the-trees-grow-tall-who-is-wiser-than-her-years-and-yearns-for-something-she-does-not-know-of-until-the-entwives-make-their-journey-to-the-nearer-lands-and-sing-once-again-in-the-times-of-peace. Iiiiit wiiil keeee-eeep yousaaaaaaaafe frooom the cooooold sto-orm that is-ssss-s cooooming. A sapling like yooooooooou neeeeeeds a thick baaaaaark to keeeeeep yoursellllf safe, saaaaaaafe from the stooooooooooorm.'
'Yes, I will be sure to do that' she had promised.
'Now, do you know anything else about my companions?'
'Good. You wiiiiiiill neeeeeeeeeeeeed somethiiiiiiiing to proteeeeeect yourseeeeeeelf in the cooooo-ming coooold. Do you prooooooooooomise you willlll stay saaaaaaafe in the frossssst? A greeeeeeeeat many yooooooooouuuung sprooooooooouts witheeeeeeeeeeer from the froooooost.'
'Yes, I promise!' She groaned, exasperated with the old tree.
'Now, do you have anything else to tell me? I have a very long distance to travel, and I have not slept in days.' Rima yawned.
'No, yyoung sproooooooout. Nooooothing eeeeelse. Sleeeeeeeep, sproooooooooouuut. Leeeet your braaaaaaanches reeeeeeeeach to the heavensss-sss. Beeeeeee greeeeeen and freeeeeeesh, and malady yourr truuuuuuuuuuuunk beeeeeeeend in the gaaaaaaaales to cooooooome.'
'Thank you, Elder tree-from-far-away. Good night.'
With that, she had drifted off, barely conscious of the amused mutterings of the old tree.
"Silllyyyyyyy sprooout. Not yeeeeet fouuund it's rooooooooot-reeeeest, and alreeeeeady tooooo big to pleasant. Groooooow biiiiiiiiiiig and liiiiiiiiiiimber, little sproooooooooooout.'
It whispered fondly, rattling it's old limbs in the cool breeze. Within moments, Rima was asleep.
She looked up at the now-silent tree.
Probably in another deep sleep.
She sighed and stood, stretching her weary limbs and stiff joints.
Oh well.
Rima paced towards her sleeping friends, snoring softly on the swaying grasslands.
Onwards, and forwards. Time to get going again.