[Presented here are only some of the journal entries of Abelyn, daughter of Alewyth, those vaguely relevant to the plot as a whole or particularly important to her life. No doubt readers would find little entertainment in her daily accounts of carding wool, weaving cloth, and trying to coax vegetables from the ground.]
3018 20 SeptemberHathneyn says a wizard was in Edoras today. He was attending Lord Eomer, and apparently they bore witness to the scene. Hathneyn has it from Eomer that the wizard is known in the north as Gandalf the Grey, Mithrandir to the Elf-folk. Neyn could not say more, except that he irritated Theoden-king, and that Wormtongue liked him not at all. (Though this is no great surprise to me, Wormtongue does not seem to like anyone overmuch, excepting perhaps Lady Eowyn, gods save her). The story goes that Theoden sent him away, bidding him take any horse he wished, so long as he left.
It makes me wonder what a wizard was doing here to begin with.
It seems to me that something in the world is changing. (Neyn agrees, though he can not say why). Something is growing… darker. My dreams have been odd at night, filled with shadow and creatures I have never seen, people I have never met. And… I must sound crazy, but it seems to me that they are all in the future somewhere, which is perhaps why the dreams are so shady. The future, of course, has yet to take shape.
I spoke of this to my mother, and she told me to hush. She often does that. I spoke of this to my father, and he smiled, and patted my head, called me a good girl, and told me to go help with dinner. I spoke of this to Asther, and he laughed. Little Eibler was nearby, and looked up at me in that knowing way of his. (I sometimes suspect there is more to my little brother than one would think). I spoke of this to Hathneyn, and he wanted to know what I thought it meant. I didn't know what to tell him. All I can say is that it seems certain the world is changing, and the visit of this wizard seems to confirm it.
I then told Neyn what happened when I spoke of my dreams to my family (especially Asther, the stupid cur). He told me to ignore them. "If you feel it means something… then it must." Neyn has such faith in me. I often feel he alone understands me. I have only just come in from sitting with him. I wonder if he knows I hold no times more dear than those spent sitting in his arms, watching the stars. I am sure he would be mocked if the other Riders knew how soft his heart really is – then again, perhaps not. Surely those who have ever loved a woman would understand.
21 September
The wizard is gone, and so too is Shadowfax, the king's favorite horse.
I imagine he is now none so pleased that he bid the Grey One leave with such haste.
3 November
I care not for those who have wealth and jewels and land, there is no happier girl in all of Rohan than I am today! Neyn, my dearest Neyn, spoke to my father at last! I had been wondering… these past few days he had grown stuttering and nervous around me. It turns out he was working up the nerve to speak to my father! Imagine! Hathneyn, son of Ehather, among the tallest and strongest of the Riders, attendant to Lord Eomer, reduced to stammering at the mere thought of speaking to Alewyth, a short and bent farmer with far more brain than strength.
But it is done! We are to be married come springtime. I think Neyn would wish it sooner, but who gets married in winter? It bodes ill on the future of the union, to be wed in so bleak and empty a time. And so we await the first flowers. I will be a bride with white and yellow blooms in my hair.
My mother has been weeping with happiness all evening. I sometimes think I was ever little to her but bait for a marriage, but I know she is proud of me. To her view, a girl of my station marrying an attendant to a Lord is the most I could ever hope for. I care not for his station or who he knows. He is my Neyn and he loves me. Nothing else matters.
25 December
Something has happened. I don't know what, but it is something. My dreams last night spoke of great journeys, of bold men and – no, not just men. Impossible as it seems, Elves and Dwarves and something else, too. I have never seen Elves or Dwarves or these other things, but I saw them in my dream. One Elf – who seemed to me older than he looked – spoke at length, a great speech which moved his companions deeply. I had no idea what he was speaking of. It was so much rambling in my mind, meaningless words and phrases I did not understand. And yet I feel it is important.
26 December
Neyn says the fourth kind of being in my dream were Halflings. He has never seen one, but he has heard of them. He says they are something like men, only short and fat.
[A/N:
[Abelyn = eh-buh-lin; Hathneyn = hath-neh-in; Ehather = eh-hath-ir; Alewyth = ail-with
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