Chapter 8
The ONE Mage
"Good bye!" Audric Merythn called, waving after the travellers as they left the house early that fall morning. Erisana waved back, blowing her father a kiss as they mounted their horses and began to ride off. "Good bye!" Soon the house disappeared, and Natannael began to sing the song of the Elves he had heard on his travels, trying to lighten the mood:
'Oh! What are you doing, And where are you going? Your ponies need shooeing! The river is flowing! O! tra-la-la-lally here down in the valley
O! What are you seeking? And where are you making? (Erisana joined in) The faggots are reeking, The bannocks are baking O! tril-lil-lil-lolly the valley is jolly, ha ha! (From J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit")
Natannael fingered his sword, the famous 'moon blade', which he admired so. It was a family heirloom, belonging to his grandfather and he happened to be the heir. No one else but himself could touch the sword, or they would be killed...he was rather proud of that. Irene looked up at the sky as the sun began to brighten, and she smiled when she heard the chirping of the birds. 'To fly would be folly, To stay would be jolly And listen and hark Till the end of the dark to our tune ha! ha!
She sung the words quietly to herself, hurrying to catch up with Erisana. They entered a dense forest, which separated Mirkwood from Silverymoon (which in fact is not a real place in Tolkien's works in case you were wondering). They took the path to the left, following it a great deal till they reached a clear, fast-flowing stream. "Be careful," said Natannael. "we will not cross here...there is a bridge a bit of a ways down. Yet it is rickety, so even crossing it can be a danger. Follow me onward." He led them along the river bank till they reached the old wooden bridge, and Irene volunteered to go first. She was not afraid of heights and made her way across quickly and lightly. When she reached the other end of the river, she turned and encouraged Erisana to follow. Once all of the travellers had crossed the bridge, they found the continuation of the path they had been following and walked as long as they could till their feet ached and until they were hungry. They sat down in a small grove of trees and took out packages of 'Lembas' (Elvan cakes) and their canteens filled with water, nibbling on their food as they spoke of the adventures yet to come.
"Saruman is the fallen wizard, isn't he?" asked Erisana.
"Yes. He controls the Orcs and the other creatures of Mordor." Suddenly a loud whinney caused each of them to stand, and gather their weapons.
"Halt!" Natannael shouted, his musical voice echoing through the trees. "Who goes there?"
"Natannael Silverbranch." A white horse approached, and on its back sat one of the strangest looking humans Irene had ever seen in her life! The girl had long blonde hair that curled at her shoulders, however done up with colorful feathers. Her face had dark swirls of paint and her lips were painted purple with a blue stripe cutting through the bottom. Erisana had heard of this woman earlier from Natannael, but she had refused to believe him.
"Kendalla Pertesca...I was wondering when we would meet up with you. Dismount, and I will introduce you to my company."
"I have already met him," Kendalla pointed out, nodding towards Omar the Dwarf. "It is a pleasure to meet you again Master Dwarf."
Omar nodded respectfully in return. "I do hope you are well, my Lady? And your family?"
"My family is well...handling themselves quite divinely, despite all that has happened."
"This is my fiencee, Erisana Merythn," Natannael introduced Erisana who smiled.
"My pleasure. And who is this lovely young one?" she looked at the half- naked Irene.
"My lady in waiting. Irene..."
"A pleasure to meet you as well."
Irene only stared at her. "She only speaks in Elvish around strangers." Erisana explained.
"Does she?"
"Yes, I am afraid she does," Natannael added as Erisana translated Kendalla's words to Irene, who smiled back at the mage.
"Tempa quenya naa taa." Irene replied. (It is a pleasure to meet you.)
"She said it is a pleasure to meet you," said Erisana.
"Good. Now that all of us are together, let us away...the Dark Shadow of Mordor awaits us."
"I am glad you have agreed to help us, Natannael. It means very much to my family." said Kendalla, mounting her horse. "Have you eaten?" asked Natannael. "We have plenty of Lembas to go around..."
"I am all right. You need not worry about me." Kendalla insisted. They walked and rode through the woods till night fell, and they decided to set up camp. Erisana asked the mage all kinds of questions, and found out some things she would have preferred not to know. Kendalla was a very lively woman--always laughing and telling jokes.
Natannael leaned over towards Erisana and whispered in her ear, "Does she not look like a cloistered priestess out on holiday?"
Erisana laughed and gave Natannael a small shove on the shoulder.
They soon fell asleep to crickets and the sound of Irene's voice, singing quietly in Elvish long into the night.
"Good bye!" Audric Merythn called, waving after the travellers as they left the house early that fall morning. Erisana waved back, blowing her father a kiss as they mounted their horses and began to ride off. "Good bye!" Soon the house disappeared, and Natannael began to sing the song of the Elves he had heard on his travels, trying to lighten the mood:
'Oh! What are you doing, And where are you going? Your ponies need shooeing! The river is flowing! O! tra-la-la-lally here down in the valley
O! What are you seeking? And where are you making? (Erisana joined in) The faggots are reeking, The bannocks are baking O! tril-lil-lil-lolly the valley is jolly, ha ha! (From J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit")
Natannael fingered his sword, the famous 'moon blade', which he admired so. It was a family heirloom, belonging to his grandfather and he happened to be the heir. No one else but himself could touch the sword, or they would be killed...he was rather proud of that. Irene looked up at the sky as the sun began to brighten, and she smiled when she heard the chirping of the birds. 'To fly would be folly, To stay would be jolly And listen and hark Till the end of the dark to our tune ha! ha!
She sung the words quietly to herself, hurrying to catch up with Erisana. They entered a dense forest, which separated Mirkwood from Silverymoon (which in fact is not a real place in Tolkien's works in case you were wondering). They took the path to the left, following it a great deal till they reached a clear, fast-flowing stream. "Be careful," said Natannael. "we will not cross here...there is a bridge a bit of a ways down. Yet it is rickety, so even crossing it can be a danger. Follow me onward." He led them along the river bank till they reached the old wooden bridge, and Irene volunteered to go first. She was not afraid of heights and made her way across quickly and lightly. When she reached the other end of the river, she turned and encouraged Erisana to follow. Once all of the travellers had crossed the bridge, they found the continuation of the path they had been following and walked as long as they could till their feet ached and until they were hungry. They sat down in a small grove of trees and took out packages of 'Lembas' (Elvan cakes) and their canteens filled with water, nibbling on their food as they spoke of the adventures yet to come.
"Saruman is the fallen wizard, isn't he?" asked Erisana.
"Yes. He controls the Orcs and the other creatures of Mordor." Suddenly a loud whinney caused each of them to stand, and gather their weapons.
"Halt!" Natannael shouted, his musical voice echoing through the trees. "Who goes there?"
"Natannael Silverbranch." A white horse approached, and on its back sat one of the strangest looking humans Irene had ever seen in her life! The girl had long blonde hair that curled at her shoulders, however done up with colorful feathers. Her face had dark swirls of paint and her lips were painted purple with a blue stripe cutting through the bottom. Erisana had heard of this woman earlier from Natannael, but she had refused to believe him.
"Kendalla Pertesca...I was wondering when we would meet up with you. Dismount, and I will introduce you to my company."
"I have already met him," Kendalla pointed out, nodding towards Omar the Dwarf. "It is a pleasure to meet you again Master Dwarf."
Omar nodded respectfully in return. "I do hope you are well, my Lady? And your family?"
"My family is well...handling themselves quite divinely, despite all that has happened."
"This is my fiencee, Erisana Merythn," Natannael introduced Erisana who smiled.
"My pleasure. And who is this lovely young one?" she looked at the half- naked Irene.
"My lady in waiting. Irene..."
"A pleasure to meet you as well."
Irene only stared at her. "She only speaks in Elvish around strangers." Erisana explained.
"Does she?"
"Yes, I am afraid she does," Natannael added as Erisana translated Kendalla's words to Irene, who smiled back at the mage.
"Tempa quenya naa taa." Irene replied. (It is a pleasure to meet you.)
"She said it is a pleasure to meet you," said Erisana.
"Good. Now that all of us are together, let us away...the Dark Shadow of Mordor awaits us."
"I am glad you have agreed to help us, Natannael. It means very much to my family." said Kendalla, mounting her horse. "Have you eaten?" asked Natannael. "We have plenty of Lembas to go around..."
"I am all right. You need not worry about me." Kendalla insisted. They walked and rode through the woods till night fell, and they decided to set up camp. Erisana asked the mage all kinds of questions, and found out some things she would have preferred not to know. Kendalla was a very lively woman--always laughing and telling jokes.
Natannael leaned over towards Erisana and whispered in her ear, "Does she not look like a cloistered priestess out on holiday?"
Erisana laughed and gave Natannael a small shove on the shoulder.
They soon fell asleep to crickets and the sound of Irene's voice, singing quietly in Elvish long into the night.