The Fell Winter in Eriador and another Chieftain shuffles off the mortal coil. Temperatures in Imladris plummet and everyone is huddled in the Hall of Fire.
Fell Winter
Imladris, Hrive, T.A. 2911
Dear Journal
Apologies for the scrawl but I am freezing my fingers off. This is one of the worst winters I have ever in my long years experienced. Everyone in the Last Homely House is in the Hall of Fire and bundled in furs, including Lord Elrond. Elladan and Elrohir are away wintering with the Dunedain. They always had a fondness for riding with Arathorn. I fondly recall winters past where the trio would pelt me with snowballs until I was neck-deep in a drift. Still, compared to his namesake, Arathorn II is much more manageable as a lad. Must be Argonui's influence. The old Chieftain moved to Imladris some years after Arathorn was fostered. We have enjoyed many discussions on gardening and we have him to thank for the new hives.
Erestor fussing about the cost of keeping the place heated. We are using up the firewood at an alarming pace just to keep warm. Henceforth, only the Hall of Fire, House of Healing and kitchens will have access to firewood. The baths are apparently closed until spring. Too bad no one told that unfortunate ellon who ended up crashing through the ice which had formed on the bath. Not me. I deny any allegations I broke my leg in a childish act like diving into the baths like an elfling. I simply slipped on some ice, that's all.
Lord Elrond firmly declined to use his Ring to warm up the valley, as usual. Lady Arwen and Lindir taking turns to keep everyone's spirits up with music and good food. Elrond a tad concerned about Argonui's cough. The old chap has barely been eating anything more than soup these weeks. Elrond has instructed the cooks to make it as nutritious as possible for his patient. Cocoa, hearty stews and mulled wines are making the rounds courtesy of the kitchens under Arwen's able management.
Brr, I hope Fin and the twins found somewhere warm to shelter for the season. I cannot imagine why Mithrandir wants them about near the Shire. Those hobbits can definitely fend for themselves. I cannot wait until spring is here. Erestor being a spoilsport and warning of floods come spring when all the ice and snow upstream melts.
Imladris, Tuile, T.A. 2912
Dear Journal
Today we mourn the passing of yet another Chieftain. Argonui perished the result of an act of bravery – leaping into the Bruinen to rescue a Dunedain child who had been knocked out of her mother's arms by a sudden surge of water at the Ford. The child was a tad shook up but unhurt. Argonui managed to pass her to one of Fin's guards before that blasted tree stump got him. He had been so looking forward to returning to his beloved farmstead and taking his death there, preferably next to the grave of his wife. We fished him out downstream and Elrond is making arrangements with the new Chieftain Arador to have the body sent home.
That ford has always been a problem in spring with the meltwater from the mountains. This latest incident has urged Elrond to start considering a more direct intervention in our one and only river crossing into Imladris. Elrond has always avoided using Vilya's powers as far as possible for fear of drawing attention to our little haven. Perhaps the Istar Mithrandir would be able to advise should he drop by.
Erestor, are you sure we are supposed to slather poor Argonui with this icky resin stuff? Oh, to keep the bugs away, I see. Near Haradrim-style mummification. I guess you learn something new every year. Wait, did you say to dry his waterlogged corpse in the smoke house first? The same smokehouse with the household's hams and smoked trout? Eww… Gross… Can't we just put him in a sealed box and have Arador take him home that way? He does not need anyone looking on his face again once he gets home, right?
Author's Notes:
Figwit broke his leg in a childish stunt, despite what he wrote ;) He was so happy to have the baths all to himself (because everyone else received Erestor's cost-cutting memo and are huddled in the Hall of Fire) and dove into the bath without checking the water temperature first.
I picture the Near Haradrim as proto-Egyptians practising some primitive form of mummification for the purposes of this fic. If we map the world of Middle Earth with their real-world equivalent location, I think the location and scant descriptions Tolkien did provide of the climate, it should be about the Middle East region. I think Figwit would be more grossed out if Erestor does the entire Egyptian mummification practice of hooking the brain out from the nostrils.
