Norway, 1942
As the storyteller finished his second tale of southerners visiting his ancestors, this time to place in hiding a Ring of great value and danger, the storyteller caught the eyes of the three young college students in turn.
"I did not assent to tell you these things merely for your educational benefit. My second tale has not yet ended. Although our people have never been bound by friendship, we now face a common enemy. The German Nazi's who have invaded this land now search for that small but dangerous Ring entrusted to this land by the Fellowship. If they find it, both our worlds will be utterly destroyed. The Sámi have kept watch over the general area we were told held the Ring's hiding place for many thousands of years. We no longer have the strength to protect it by simple force. We need now to be covert and we need information. You," the storyteller said, pointing to Per, "have a brother who has escaped to England. If you wish to save all that you hold dear, you must ask him to contact an English Professor who has translated a book by some of the members of the Fellowship. This professor, a man called Tolkien, must entrust to your brother the precise location of the Ring and the details of the enchantments and traps placed upon the hiding place. We can not trust print to hold these secrets, only a person of great courage."
"I think I speak for all of us when I say we will do anything we can to help, but I haven't heard from my brother since he left Norway," replied Per. "The British radio said that his ship did arrive in England, but I don't have the means to contact him, or even the gain assurance that he arrived in safety."
The storyteller stared at his hands for a moment, then, looking up, he said, "Surely your resistance has some contact with the British government, or we could send someone to England to collect the information."
"It's risky either way . . ." began Hans.
"Perhaps we could travel over the snow to Sweden," interrupted Astrid with a strange light in her eyes. "We could get legal transportation from there to England."
"We?" questioned the storyteller.
"We," affirmed Astrid. "We may need to contact Per's brother to help us get back here with the information, and I speak English and German quite well and even enough Swedish to get by."
"If you two go, I could stay and cover your tracks and absence," volunteered Hans. "My uncle owned a radio shop in Oslo before the war. I could try to form a link between the Sámi and the resistance or between the Sámi and London."
"Very well," replied the storyteller resignedly. "Sondre will accompany you." Sondre nodded ascent from his corner. "You will leave on sleds tomorrow mid-morning. We will prepare them for you this night," continued the storyteller. "Sondre, take them to a place where they can get a meal and rest for the night." Sondre and the three southerners nodded respectfully and disappeared into the cold.
Once they were beyond the hearing range of any tent, Per turned to Astrid. "Why were you so eager to go on this journey?" he asked in a soft voice.
Astrid smiled and replied, "I have wanted to meet Professor Tolkien since I read his translation of Beowulf."
"Ah," chuckled Per.
* * * * * * * * * *
Captain Schlaechter cursed silently for the umpteenth time. Upon his arrival in the north of Norway, the captain realized how little information he really had to work with. He had been told that Berlin would send any information its scholars could come up with, but for the moment, he was struck sending search patrols who really didn't know what they were looking for and interrogating locals who had less of an idea what Schlaechter wanted than Schlaechter had of where it was hidden. Schlaechter cursed again and pushed through the nearest door to freeze his frustration in the snow clad compound.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Julia- Sorry for the lateness of the post. Thank you for the long in depth review. Izodiea- thank you for the review
As the storyteller finished his second tale of southerners visiting his ancestors, this time to place in hiding a Ring of great value and danger, the storyteller caught the eyes of the three young college students in turn.
"I did not assent to tell you these things merely for your educational benefit. My second tale has not yet ended. Although our people have never been bound by friendship, we now face a common enemy. The German Nazi's who have invaded this land now search for that small but dangerous Ring entrusted to this land by the Fellowship. If they find it, both our worlds will be utterly destroyed. The Sámi have kept watch over the general area we were told held the Ring's hiding place for many thousands of years. We no longer have the strength to protect it by simple force. We need now to be covert and we need information. You," the storyteller said, pointing to Per, "have a brother who has escaped to England. If you wish to save all that you hold dear, you must ask him to contact an English Professor who has translated a book by some of the members of the Fellowship. This professor, a man called Tolkien, must entrust to your brother the precise location of the Ring and the details of the enchantments and traps placed upon the hiding place. We can not trust print to hold these secrets, only a person of great courage."
"I think I speak for all of us when I say we will do anything we can to help, but I haven't heard from my brother since he left Norway," replied Per. "The British radio said that his ship did arrive in England, but I don't have the means to contact him, or even the gain assurance that he arrived in safety."
The storyteller stared at his hands for a moment, then, looking up, he said, "Surely your resistance has some contact with the British government, or we could send someone to England to collect the information."
"It's risky either way . . ." began Hans.
"Perhaps we could travel over the snow to Sweden," interrupted Astrid with a strange light in her eyes. "We could get legal transportation from there to England."
"We?" questioned the storyteller.
"We," affirmed Astrid. "We may need to contact Per's brother to help us get back here with the information, and I speak English and German quite well and even enough Swedish to get by."
"If you two go, I could stay and cover your tracks and absence," volunteered Hans. "My uncle owned a radio shop in Oslo before the war. I could try to form a link between the Sámi and the resistance or between the Sámi and London."
"Very well," replied the storyteller resignedly. "Sondre will accompany you." Sondre nodded ascent from his corner. "You will leave on sleds tomorrow mid-morning. We will prepare them for you this night," continued the storyteller. "Sondre, take them to a place where they can get a meal and rest for the night." Sondre and the three southerners nodded respectfully and disappeared into the cold.
Once they were beyond the hearing range of any tent, Per turned to Astrid. "Why were you so eager to go on this journey?" he asked in a soft voice.
Astrid smiled and replied, "I have wanted to meet Professor Tolkien since I read his translation of Beowulf."
"Ah," chuckled Per.
* * * * * * * * * *
Captain Schlaechter cursed silently for the umpteenth time. Upon his arrival in the north of Norway, the captain realized how little information he really had to work with. He had been told that Berlin would send any information its scholars could come up with, but for the moment, he was struck sending search patrols who really didn't know what they were looking for and interrogating locals who had less of an idea what Schlaechter wanted than Schlaechter had of where it was hidden. Schlaechter cursed again and pushed through the nearest door to freeze his frustration in the snow clad compound.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Julia- Sorry for the lateness of the post. Thank you for the long in depth review. Izodiea- thank you for the review