Travels to Númenor
POV - Agador
"Sometimes you amaze me, young one." I heard Entälenir say as he gazed at the arrow I had shot. The bow was not mine, but Brier's, and nearly no one in the village knew of my possession of it, until I had let loose an arrow, least ways. Brier had just been practicing my aim while Brier ventured off to pick a few berries, and Entälenir snuck up behind me, jumping me. The arrow shot from the taut bow, even though I had not yet chosen a destination. It sped towards the green leaves of the borders of the forest, and struck an unaware hare in the breast. Entälenir rushed to pick the felled animal up when Brier returned.
"How did you manage that, may I ask?" he inquired. I just shrugged.
"Looks like you'll be having rabbit for dinner tonight, my girl." Entälenir smiled and handed me the limp bundle of fir.
"Great then, let's get back, shall we?" Brier asked, and he started off after Entälenir back towards the village. I followed closely behind, barely grasping the dead animal.
"Here, you take it," I said and thrust the hare into Brier's hands. "Just the sight sickens me." Brier shrugged and continued walking without saying another word.
We were to leave for Númenor in less than a month and most of our supplies were being bundled together. The thought of an adventure outside of the village borders made my stomach turn, but I felt glad to be independent. Brier couldn't sit still, and had a rough time waiting in anticipation for our journey.
Three weeks passed since I shot the game and I was still receiving congratulations for it. Brier had made a small pack out of its hide (with the help of Pirranen, a skilled young man in the business of animal hides) and gave it to me as a present on the day of our departure.
"I filled it with the cakes you love so much. The ones made with rice." Brier stated and tied the string with the pouch around my leather belt.
"Much thanks, now I need to get you something, perhaps in Númenor I will find something." I smiled and turned to see father and mother approaching.
"Agador," father began, "before you leave, let us say goodbye!" He hugged me tight, and mother was close behind.
"Goodbye then, for a while, at least!" I announed, as more people crowded around us. And then we left, down the trail towards the sloping hills of our land. We hadn't traveled far when we came upon a pair of squirrels quarreling behind a bush.
"Agador! Why don't you work your magic and get us some fresh meat for dinner tonight!" Brier exclaimed, and flashed me a smile. My stomach turned, and I almost lost my lunch. The thought of killing another unthreatening animal for a minimal amount of meat thrust the food from my stomach to my mouth. I keeled over and spewed into a patch of crab-grass to my right.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were feeling sick." Brier began. He pulled my hair away from my face. I stood up straight and faced him, rubbing the corners of my mouth.
"It's okay, I feel better now, let's go!" and we kept walking for many miles before we rested again.
Days passed, and we seemed to be walking around in circles. The surrounding area all looked the same to me, but Brier felt pretty sure about where he was going. The map he carried with him was hardly consulted, until at last we came upon the shores of the mighty river, Anduin.
"At last!" Brier called out as we gazed upon the rushing waters. "Here we will camp for the night, I think." And we dropped our heavy loads. It was about five in the evening when we heard the sound of voices coming from the far bank. The distance to the other side was too great for us to see, so we waited for minutes, until a small paddle-boat appeared. The people inside were Lorien elves, and we welcomed them with open arms.
"The Lord and Lady have heard of your travel, and would appreciate a visit from you fellows." A young elf said after a hearty meal. We sat around the small fire we had erected under the eaves of a few maple trees. After that night we set out across the water for Lothlorien. We arrived soon after noon, but it took another hour or so to reach the Lord's house.
"Greetings, neighbors and kin of Entälenir. The Lady and myself called upon you for a favor of sorts." Celeborn began.
"We thank you heartily for your kindness, my Lord," I said and bowed. "But what kind of favor did you have in mind?"
"Messages," Galadriel said in her high, clear voice. "From the country of Númenor. What we seek is in a letter, and we ask that you two do not read either outgoing or incoming messages." Brier and I said nothing, so she continued. "You are to set out as soon as you can, bearing this." And she took a small folded parchment from her servant's hands, handing it to Brier. "For your services you will receive a rich reward."
"Lady, if I may say so, I ask for no reward, just only the honor of being of your service!" Brier exclaimed, and bowed as a sign of respect. The Lady smiled.
"I admire your modesty, but it only fits that you are paid for your work." And then we left, staying only one night in Lothlorien, under makeshift huts various elves had constructed.
"Say, have you any idea where a young elf named Haldir may be?" I asked one of the elves nearby our camp. He looked at me with a blank expression, so I asked him again in his common language, little of which I had been taught by Entälenir.
"Ah, I do, but I fear that you would not be able to reach him at the moment." The elf replied. "He is accompanying his father on a hunt through the southern woods." And then he left. That night I got little sleep, knowing it would be a very long time before Haldir would be in my company again.
In the morning we set out upon the Anduin on small boats that were constructed that last night. The current was strong, and in a week we had reached the borders of Umbar.
"Sometimes you amaze me, young one." I heard Entälenir say as he gazed at the arrow I had shot. The bow was not mine, but Brier's, and nearly no one in the village knew of my possession of it, until I had let loose an arrow, least ways. Brier had just been practicing my aim while Brier ventured off to pick a few berries, and Entälenir snuck up behind me, jumping me. The arrow shot from the taut bow, even though I had not yet chosen a destination. It sped towards the green leaves of the borders of the forest, and struck an unaware hare in the breast. Entälenir rushed to pick the felled animal up when Brier returned.
"How did you manage that, may I ask?" he inquired. I just shrugged.
"Looks like you'll be having rabbit for dinner tonight, my girl." Entälenir smiled and handed me the limp bundle of fir.
"Great then, let's get back, shall we?" Brier asked, and he started off after Entälenir back towards the village. I followed closely behind, barely grasping the dead animal.
"Here, you take it," I said and thrust the hare into Brier's hands. "Just the sight sickens me." Brier shrugged and continued walking without saying another word.
We were to leave for Númenor in less than a month and most of our supplies were being bundled together. The thought of an adventure outside of the village borders made my stomach turn, but I felt glad to be independent. Brier couldn't sit still, and had a rough time waiting in anticipation for our journey.
Three weeks passed since I shot the game and I was still receiving congratulations for it. Brier had made a small pack out of its hide (with the help of Pirranen, a skilled young man in the business of animal hides) and gave it to me as a present on the day of our departure.
"I filled it with the cakes you love so much. The ones made with rice." Brier stated and tied the string with the pouch around my leather belt.
"Much thanks, now I need to get you something, perhaps in Númenor I will find something." I smiled and turned to see father and mother approaching.
"Agador," father began, "before you leave, let us say goodbye!" He hugged me tight, and mother was close behind.
"Goodbye then, for a while, at least!" I announed, as more people crowded around us. And then we left, down the trail towards the sloping hills of our land. We hadn't traveled far when we came upon a pair of squirrels quarreling behind a bush.
"Agador! Why don't you work your magic and get us some fresh meat for dinner tonight!" Brier exclaimed, and flashed me a smile. My stomach turned, and I almost lost my lunch. The thought of killing another unthreatening animal for a minimal amount of meat thrust the food from my stomach to my mouth. I keeled over and spewed into a patch of crab-grass to my right.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were feeling sick." Brier began. He pulled my hair away from my face. I stood up straight and faced him, rubbing the corners of my mouth.
"It's okay, I feel better now, let's go!" and we kept walking for many miles before we rested again.
Days passed, and we seemed to be walking around in circles. The surrounding area all looked the same to me, but Brier felt pretty sure about where he was going. The map he carried with him was hardly consulted, until at last we came upon the shores of the mighty river, Anduin.
"At last!" Brier called out as we gazed upon the rushing waters. "Here we will camp for the night, I think." And we dropped our heavy loads. It was about five in the evening when we heard the sound of voices coming from the far bank. The distance to the other side was too great for us to see, so we waited for minutes, until a small paddle-boat appeared. The people inside were Lorien elves, and we welcomed them with open arms.
"The Lord and Lady have heard of your travel, and would appreciate a visit from you fellows." A young elf said after a hearty meal. We sat around the small fire we had erected under the eaves of a few maple trees. After that night we set out across the water for Lothlorien. We arrived soon after noon, but it took another hour or so to reach the Lord's house.
"Greetings, neighbors and kin of Entälenir. The Lady and myself called upon you for a favor of sorts." Celeborn began.
"We thank you heartily for your kindness, my Lord," I said and bowed. "But what kind of favor did you have in mind?"
"Messages," Galadriel said in her high, clear voice. "From the country of Númenor. What we seek is in a letter, and we ask that you two do not read either outgoing or incoming messages." Brier and I said nothing, so she continued. "You are to set out as soon as you can, bearing this." And she took a small folded parchment from her servant's hands, handing it to Brier. "For your services you will receive a rich reward."
"Lady, if I may say so, I ask for no reward, just only the honor of being of your service!" Brier exclaimed, and bowed as a sign of respect. The Lady smiled.
"I admire your modesty, but it only fits that you are paid for your work." And then we left, staying only one night in Lothlorien, under makeshift huts various elves had constructed.
"Say, have you any idea where a young elf named Haldir may be?" I asked one of the elves nearby our camp. He looked at me with a blank expression, so I asked him again in his common language, little of which I had been taught by Entälenir.
"Ah, I do, but I fear that you would not be able to reach him at the moment." The elf replied. "He is accompanying his father on a hunt through the southern woods." And then he left. That night I got little sleep, knowing it would be a very long time before Haldir would be in my company again.
In the morning we set out upon the Anduin on small boats that were constructed that last night. The current was strong, and in a week we had reached the borders of Umbar.
