[Things start to get interesting…
[Confidential to Flora Boffins: You know me too well.]
30191 January
A new year. May it be more promising than the last.
Hathneyn brought me a ring today. He seemed almost shamed – it is small and silver, and I think it beautiful. He promises one day he will have the wealth to buy me finer things, though I have told him a thousand times I care not. He is all I need. But Neyn does not have so high an opinion of himself, and so feels compelled to prove himself.
Men, I believe, are silly creatures.
15 JanuaryAnd now my mother believes me mad. I do not think I blame her. Had I a daughter who woke up screaming in the night, I would probably think her mad, too. (Then again, perhaps not. I like to think I am of a more understanding sort than my mother).
Had it just been images, I believe I would have been fine. I have suffered nightmares for some time now – since summer, really. But this was more intense… it was a place of darkness, and yet of fire. Cold and damp, yet the source of fear was a blazing light. A demon of some sort, all ablaze… and these men (and others) I have seen now and again. All were there, including a few of those Halflings Neyn mentioned. The two men, I think, are each of great importance, as is one of the Halflings. Why, I can't begin to guess. But this did not trouble me – the wizard was there. The one who came to Edoras in – September, was it? How I know this, I can not explain. I did not see him close. I only know his name from Neyn. But it was him – grey and ancient and powerful. He battled the demon-creature… I could not see the outcome, but I imagine it was not a good one, for I felt – in my dream – a sudden wave of terror, shock, horror… These senses, which I attribute to his companions, were in my mind.
It terrified me. I felt them cry out – felt the angry dismay, the horrified denial, the pain and grief and sorrow and terrible suffering. Who would not wake screaming under such circumstances? And yet my mother thinks me mad…
I refused to say what I had seen to her, though she tried to cajole it out of me. I have learnt not to speak of this to my family. My parents don't understand (Mother just considers it a blessing I've found someone willing to marry me, considering my oddities), Eibler and Abethen are too young to trouble with such things, Eigrin ignores me as he has always done, and Asther pulls my hair and teases me. "Little Abelyn a prophetess now?"
Perhaps.
And then again, perhaps not. I don't know. I have no knowledge of such things, and I don't pretend to. All I know is that I have troubling dreams.
25 JanuaryThe wizard is dead.
I should tell how I know of this, for it was stranger than any knowledge I have come by before.
Mother grew tired of my bouncing about the house – Neyn has been on duty for two days, and so I had not been out of the house much, and my pent up energy was beginning to wear on her nerves. She set me to spinning, a lamentable task for anyone with energy. But I succumbed to its powerful magic soon enough… spinning has been known to put many a woman into a sort of trance. Me especially. This time, thought… this time it seemed a real trance, not just a hypnosis induced by the tedious labor of spinning. The threads whirled before me until they were there no longer…
I saw the wizard, this time without his companions. He was alone somewhere, a place cold and white and far from comfort. Whatever demon he had faced was nowhere to be seen. The Grey One was on his back, eyes closed, skin raw from battle and exposure. And he was not moving. Not moving, twitching, blinking, breathing.
When the vision broke, I was on the floor and bleeding. Somewhere between falling into the trance and coming out of it, I fell off my stool and wounded myself in the process. Now my mother can not stop jabbering about my "illness." I think the woman must believe I'm possessed. Eibler seemed interested in his quiet way. Asther accused me of doing it for attention. And so now I've been sequestered away into bed, to stay here until I am "recovered." I feel fine. I should feel a great deal better if I were allowed to go visit Neyn. His presence alone is comfort to me. But being shut away has given me the time to think on what I saw.
I did not know the wizard, nor his quest. Yet I am somehow very saddened at his passing.
27 January
Out of bed today. (Honestly, Mother calls me mad, but she's the one who kept a girl perfectly well and capable of working stuck in bed for two days). Neyn came to see me, and we took a walk after I finished my chores. I told him all about what had happened – he had heard some things from various sources and gossipy neighbors, and was quite concerned for my welfare. I was hoping the truth would set him at ease, but…
Men are men. And will worry themselves for no good reason no matter what women do. He seems even more concerned for me now. He agrees with Asther's deduction of prophecy, though he does not say so mockingly. "Think carefully on this, my Lyn. It may be more important than you now realize."
I am sure it is important, but as I have no idea what any of it means, I fail to see what good thinking on it will do me.
[Authoress's Notes:
[Asther = as-thur; Eibler = ai-blur; Abethan = eh-buh-than; Eigrin = ai-gren
[Next time: February. The attacks on Rohan begin, and the Riders leave the city.]