By folding his bedroll beneath him, Lindir was able to sit through breakfast without too much physical discomfort. Aware of the surreptitious scrutiny of four pairs of eyes on him throughout the meal, however, he felt mentally and emotionally very uncomfortable indeed. They were trying not to stare, he knew that, and it was only because they were his friends, that they cared about him, that they were looking at him in the first place.

But he didn't think he could carry on for much longer like this.

Finally, steeling himself, he took a breath and began to talk, keeping his eyes lowered.

'My friends, I am grateful to you for your rescue. I am grateful that you have talked to me, and that you have known when not to talk to me. But it is awkward, now, and I do not know how to make it easier.'

He looked up suddenly, holding the twins' attention.

'Elladan, Elrohir, I know you are worried and that instead of asking me what happened, you will ask Erestor or Glorfindel, to spare my feelings. But being talked about is almost as bad as being talked to, did you know that?'

Elrohir shook his head. 'I hadn't realised. And we are worried about you – we don't even know what hap…'

'I was drugged and woke up alone and bound and a man was touching my hair with dirty hands and made me feel unclean. I was dragged into a house and brought before another man who I understood to be Briot. Then they took me away and stripped me. Women washed me, treating me like I was laundry, not even like I was a person, and then I was harnessed and shackled and left chained naked on a bed until Briot came…' Lindir paused and stared at Elladan. 'Are you sure you want me to continue?'

Elladan flushed and ducked his head away, hunching a shoulder awkwardly. But it was Erestor who spoke, himself eyeing the twins.

'I would ask for you to continue, Lindir, if you can. You see, I was kidnapped too, and released, for the kidnappers made a mistake. They had been told to take 'the same-looking ones' – in other words, the twins. Yes, there is an irony there, the humans who cannot tell elves apart… my point is that what happened to you, mellon-nin, is what would have happened to Elladan and Elrohir. Whether or not they wish to, I think they ought to know how much they owe you.'

'It was… unpleasant. He pulled my hair, my chains, he… his hands… his breath, it was… terrifying, knowing and not knowing and… I tried to take myself away, thinking of other things and he was poking and prodding and mauling me and pushing me how he wanted me, and he was talking and I couldn't… the collar was tight and I knew if I pulled against it enough… I was able to make myself lose consciousness before he could… before the worst of it.'

Elrohir shook his head. 'Lindir… how can you talk so calmly about it?'

'I really do not know. Perhaps because words are what I do. Perhaps Kovalia's compassion had something to do with it. When I came to, instead of being chained on Briot's bed, I was under the covers in another chamber.' He gave a shrug and picked at the bread he'd been trying to eat. 'The worst is told.'

'But not all,' Erestor said. 'Lindir, they wanted the twins – one each, I heard the man say. Your Kovalia – do you know who she is?'

'She is Kovalia. I think she is of high status, she had a maidservant who spoke to her freely and yet with respect, and Kovalia spoke with authority in her voice. The room was well-appointed and the bedding of good quality. She did not seem surprised to find her bed occupied, but when she saw my chains, she was clearly startled.'

'Because of your chains, or your ears?' Glorfindel asked.

'Maybe both. She gave me food and found a knife, handing it to me and showing me her back as if offering herself as a target.'

'She let you go. And then?'

'Found me salve for where the leather straps had cut me. Went to drink a glass of wine and I smelled the drug – the same that was in our wine. I stopped her drinking it. But who would have wished to drug her, and why?'

'The same who drugged us,' Erestor suggested. 'Briot. We do not know the name of his sister, this Lady who Leads, but from my eavesdropping, the intention was twofold – to distract her from the vote to give allegiance to Gondor, and to discredit her in the eyes of the King's representatives – if the story got out that she'd had a captive elf in her room, would it be likely that the King, with an elven wife, would want to ally with her? I think the intention was always to release you afterwards, Lindir, with enough having happened that you would protest and seek redress.'

'You still can, you know,' Glorfindel said. 'Briot doesn't have to get away with it.'

Lindir smiled sadly. 'But, mellon-nin, if I protest Briot's treatment of me, that will let him see that he harmed me. I would not have him know. And, if he has done this simply to thwart his sister's plans, then I will not aid him in that. Kovalia… you do not know how kind she was…'

'Yes, you've said – food and a knife and a salve and stuff, but, Lindir!' Elladan protested.

Something in Elladan's tone nettled him, and Lindir found himself speaking up in Kovalia's defence.

'She saw… there was blood, so she knew what had been done to me. She was outraged – not that her plaything was come to her second-hand, before you say it – but because she saw I had been injured and it distressed her. But everything she did, from the moment she saw my chains, was to help and comfort me, and I am grateful that she eased my fëa with her gentleness after I had endured such harsh treatment elsewhere.' He almost scowled at Elladan. 'She showed me that, whatever else, my future was not hopeless and that not everything had been spoiled for me. And now, is there anything else you think you need to know about my captivity?'

There was a surprised silence following this; Lindir was not given to outbursts of this nature and it was this, as much as his choice of words, that demonstrated how deeply troubled he really was.

'Are you still in pain?' Elladan asked presently.

'Yes, I am in much discomfort.' Lindir sighed. 'Forgive me, I had not realised how difficult this would be to talk about.'

'No, don't apologise. Really, I feel bad enough… to think it might have been me…'

'You could have been lucky.' Lindir shrugged and found a smile from somewhere. 'You could have got Kovalia. Not that I think she would have looked twice at you, for she is a lady of great taste and refinement…'

'Well, she looked very refined when you were kissing her goodbye,' Glorfindel put in, relieved the mood had turned lighter. 'If we're done eating, we should be moving on. As I remember, if we stay on the road we have no choice but to pass through Low Village and its associated inn… I think it might be better if we head across country and meet up with the mountain path some way beyond. The terrain is a little awkward, though; we'd be better off on foot and leading the horses…'

'Really?' Lindir asked as everyone else dispersed.

'No, not really, not at first. It was a bad idea to make you ride last night, but we were in a hurry to get you away. This morning, I think everyone's going to be so busy with the vote in Main Town, they won't be looking anywhere else. If we can get to High Village Inn before nightfall, the landlord was very helpful when we went back after we lost you, and we can lie up there for a day or two, send a message on ahead, perhaps.'

It took them most of the morning to pick their way through the hinterlands and skirt Low Village and when they came to the lower slopes of the mountains, Glorfindel was proved right; the way would have been very difficult on horseback. But by the time they'd stopped for an hour to rest the horses in the day's heat, Erestor was looking anxiously up towards the summit of the pass.

'I do not think we have time to make the inn before nightfall, not on foot,' he said softly, addressing himself to Glorfindel but with an apologetic glance at Lindir. 'It is up to you, whether you wish to risk camping again?'

'No, I think we should press on. We don't know how to read the weather here, and if another sandstorm blows in while we're on the mountain…'

'Agreed. Well, whenever you are ready.'

Glorfindel held the bridle for Lindir to mount and spoke soothingly, apparently to the horse, but to Lindir it was an unobtrusive gesture of support and it gave him courage. The first few minutes in the saddle were uncomfortable, reminders of the event as much as painful in their own right, but he adapted, he endured. As Glorfindel had said, long ago in the hall of fire: 'We are elves. We are stronger than we think.'

Even so, he was very glad when they reached the top of the pass and made their way to the sheltered plateau where High Village and its inn huddled against the hills and he was able to slide out of the saddle and stand on firm ground.

The stable boy dashed out to take their horses and attend to them, and the innkeeper came out and looked as if he wanted to disappear back into the inn again. He gazed in particular at Lindir and bowed low to them all.

'Welcome back, masters elf! Gentle lords, will you have your same rooms again?'

'We will have all your rooms,' Glorfindel said. 'We will pay, but so that if any Briotani should pass this way, you are full.'

'But… if they come, and see empty rooms, even paid-for rooms, they will be angry… And, gentle lords, it is the Natal Day of the Lady who Leads us; all the village will come to drink her health at my inn today and some may want to stay…'

'We will hire your inn, all of its rooms, all of its stabling. If any of your friends from the village need them, then of the rooms we pay for they may, of course, have the use. We only wish to fill your inn so that there is no room for any Briotani who may cross the mountains,' Glorfindel said.

'Do my lords mean this? You would pay for rooms for the village to use?'

Glorfindel shrugged at Erestor. 'We are on our way out of the fiefdoms. Perhaps now is not a bad time to admit you know the language.'

'Perhaps. And yet it seems like a deceit, to have kept the truth so long.' Erestor turned to the innkeeper. 'We will talk better inside,' he said, keeping to Westron for the moment.

Once indoors, Glorfindel noticed how Lindir relaxed as soon as the door was closed. He kept back from the discussion between Erestor and the landlord, but noted that the language in use had moved now from Westron into the local dialect. The few villagers who were present looked on – and, indeed, listened in – with curiosity.

'I have no idea what Erestor is saying!' Glorfindel said. 'And it is my own fault, for suggesting he speak in the local tongue!'

'Could you interrupt long enough, do you think, to bespeak our rooms?' Lindir asked.

But Erestor had heard him, and spoke the question to the innkeeper, who in turn beckoned a pot boy forward.

'The same rooms as before, and the boy will bring food and beer presently,' Erestor said. 'I am currently explaining my new linguistic skills to our host… go and get settled, I will not be long. We should keep together as much as possible.'

Once safe in his room, Lindir cast himself face down on the bed with a sigh. Glorfindel followed him in, taking a seat by the door and the twins stood looking out of the window onto the dry, dusty village.

'The vote will have been taken long since,' Lindir said. 'And the people of Main Town will know their fate. How long, do you think, before the news reaches here?'

Glorfindel shrugged.

'It depends on whether it is good news or bad, and who is in the greatest hurry to spread it,' he said. 'In theory, it could have preceded us, if the vote were taken quickly and a rider sent out with the result immediately. But I do not think that is how things happen, here. We will stay until we know.'

'And we had better be ready to leave in a hurry, if their Lady doesn't carry the vote,' Elladan added.

A few moments later, Erestor joined them.

'Well, our friend the innkeeper is very pleased to see us and to see we have found our friend. He was not sure, at first, if we would have any grievance with him…'

'But it is not his fault we didn't listen to his warnings…'

'I think he is used to being blamed for things that are not his fault. I have instructed that a message be carried to Ithilien with all haste informing them that we are on our way but will be staying here for a few days.'

'A few days?' Elladan protested.

'Why would we want to do that?' Elrohir added.

'To give me chance to heal,' Lindir said. 'To learn the result of the vote and what the villagers think of it.'

'We are out of immediate danger, and the landlord is eager to make amends for his perceived failings,' Erestor said. 'Once we have eaten and rested, we should join the company to hear what news from Main Town; word is expected to come before midnight.'

Word did, indeed, come. The expected messenger arrived a little after midnight, but the villagers at the inn were still busy celebrating their Lady who Leads' Natal Day and so had not noticed the passing of time.

The innkeeper heard the news first, and repeated it loudly for all to hear who would.

'The vote has gone through,' Erestor translated. 'The ratification of the treaty was agreed, with only three votes against and more than forty in favour. The draft was signed and has been horsed to Gondor…'

'Horsed?' Glorfindel queried.

'That is the literal translation,' Erestor said a little stiffly. 'I was attempting to give a flavour of the dialect; a messenger on horseback has been dispatched… and all is done… Ah. Oh, this is interesting…'

'We are sure it is, Erestor, but until you choose to share it with us…?'

'Patience, Glorfindel… the Lady who Leads, she has passed an edict that the learning of Westron and of Elvish…' Erestor paused to sigh. '…should be encouraged. And she herself has declared any with knowledge of such languages to present themselves to her as teachers.'

'A job for you, Lindir, if you fancy it?' Glorfindel grinned.

'Indeed, if it were not for Briot…' Lindir shuddered, and Erestor interrupted quickly.

'It would not do; it would require one who knew both this mythical 'elvish' and the local dialect.'

'A job for you, then, Erestor!' Elladan suggested.

'I already have a job, thank you! But I will explain to the messenger… and it might not hurt to mention this call for teachers in Ithilien and Gondor… it would be a good way to observe the populace as they prepare for the signing of the treaty. Still, we can rest easy tonight.'

Glorfindel rearranged the rooms so that he was next door to Lindir. 'If you need anything, just knock on the wall,' he said privately to him. 'Or we could share, if you wanted.'

Lindir shook his head. 'I am sure I'll be fine. As Erestor said, we can rest easy tonight.'