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Chapter Seven- Set in Stones
I was bent low over a small mound of brush. I struck a piece of fist-size flint against a piece of steel for a second time sending a small shower of sparks. I rearranged the pile before beginning again, and again, and again. At last a bit of dried leaf began to smoke. I bent closer still, breathing lightly on the precious spark. Some of the tinder finally burst into flame, and I fed it until it had grown to knee height. I sat back admiring my work shortly. Dusk was coming on, but later than usual. The weather worn traveler had offered to go hunting for dinner, which I agreed to. He had left in early afternoon and I highly doubted he would be able to return in time with something decent. I looked up at the falling sky, heaving a great sigh.
I had still not learned his name, as he had not mine. We had come to an impasse. The possibility that father may have sent someone to fetch me was too great so we came to a silent agreement. For he seemed to have some secret as well. I took a pot from my pack, filling it with water from the pool and setting it on a hot stone in the center of the fire.
The familiar sound of my companions footsteps made me strain my eyes into the gloom, where I could hear him approaching. I hitched a sympathetic look on my face so he would not feel so bad at catching nothing. I was surprised to see though, when he entered the fire's circle of light, that a doe was slung over his back. He let it slide to the ground as he entered the clearing.
"I see you have managed to catch something," I said standing, going to the doe and extracting the knife from my boot. I looked back at him for his reply. He bent down over the pool, drinking a few handfuls. He nodded as he stood.
"She was down at that old stone quarry." The stone quarry was a patch of forest shaped like bowl. It had once been one of the many sites where they extracted stone for the city. There were parts of Minas Tirith that could not be carved out of the mountain and stone needed to be hauled in from else where. Now the site was basically indistinguishable from the rest of the forest. Only the slight bowl shape and a piece of white stone that juts from its center were left as reminders.
It was well into the night before we had prepared the deer and actually eaten it. I had taken my bed roll out, and could not keep from yawning any longer. He was slouching against a rock, humming a song I had never heard before. "What are you singing?" I asked curiously. He turned to look at me and shrugged his shoulders.
"A song from my home," he replied and began humming it once more. I opened my mouth to ask him where that was. But though better of it, and closed it again. He seemed not to notice. My eye lids began to feel heavy and I had to keep reminding myself to keep them open. I did not even realize when they had fallen shut once more, or that I had fallen asleep. That same tune was still running through my head.
When I woke I snapped my eyes open, sitting up after remembering the events of the past night. The sun was newly risen, and stale wisps smoke were rising from the fire. I mentally kicked myself for falling asleep in his presence. I could have woken up pregnant, or not woken up at all. That fear and self anger subsided though, when I got up and went to the stream to wash my face. There, written in small stones was a short message:
Farewell my Lady,
Until Tomorrow.
I smiled in spite of myself, shaking my head.
Some time later I was leaning up against the trunk of a tree, a book propped up in my lap. It was a book I had bought off a merchant when he came into the city. I found that his books were usually the more interesting, the more traveled.
Before long I heard him moving the brush at the opposite end of the clearing. I ignored him until he stood right before me. "No apples to throw at me anymore?" he asked in a humored tone.
"I'm sorry. I ate the last for breakfast," I retorted, looking up in false innocence. He gave a short laugh and began to admire the day. "Let's go for a walk," I offered after a few moments, slapping my book shut. He nodded as I stood. We left the sunlit clearing, but even in the shade of the trees it was still warm.
After an hour and a half we found ourselves far from the clearing. He was recounting the tale of a past travel in which he had gone to the far northern country of Eriador. It was well told, but I could not help but noticed his lack of names, and dates. I didn't dwell on it long though when he stooped low to the ground, examining something there. I hovered over head, waiting for him to voice his thoughts.
"It's a paw print. A wolf if I'm not mistaken," he said standing and turning to me. I shrugged my shoulders not wanting to dwell on the baffling subject. "I've never seen one so far south as this. Have you?"
"No," I said quietly as he straightened and we walked on.
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