The Hanging Tree
Jamie tossed and turned. She could not shake the dreams she kept having. There was no way that she could know what was happening at home. It was probably just guilt that made her think something like this could happen. But there was the nagging fear, that it was true…
The bar owner was getting worried. He hadn't seen Melinda since her daughter was reported missing almost a week ago.
The Sheriff's department and the local Rangers' station had organized a search of the surrounding hills. After days of searching, it was determined that she probably fell in the river and drowned. No body was ever recovered. The Sheriff figured she'd eventually turn up downstream or along the beach in a week or so.
The bar owner decided to drive up to her house to see if she was alright. Maybe she needed something. He didn't think she had many friends, despite her popularity at the bar. He followed the long winding mountain road to a narrow dirt driveway marked only by a moss covered mailbox. The numbers were barely visible. Another mile back into the trees was a very nice cabin. He stepped out of his dusty bronco and called to the house.
"Melinda, hey, you got company out here," he called. "It's just your old boss Jackson. Come on out…"
The silence in the air was so heavy it made him sweat. Something wasn't right. He climbed the stairs to the porch, and found the front door open. There were liquor bottles everywhere.
"Oh, Melinda, I've warned you about taking your work home with you," he said sadly.
He knew she was grieving, but this mess was pretty bad. He followed the hall to the kitchen and out the back door. There was an obvious path, so he followed it on a hunch. He finally found Melinda not fifty yards back in the forest, hanging from a tree. The note that was crumpled in her pocket was short.
It simply read, "I Love you, Jamie. God forgive a failed mother."
Jamie shot straight up as she woke, her heart racing and her body drenched in sweat. She was shaking and completely horrified. It had been so real, but it was just a dream. She prayed it was just a dream. No matter what she had done, the woman was still her mother. Jamie was glad to see she hadn't waked anyone. She quietly slipped out of her sleeping bag and walked down to the river to wash her face. She knelt down and splashed the cool water on her face, and the tears suddenly poured from her eyes like a flood. Half hidden in the tall grass her silent sobs went unnoticed by all save Alcon who kept watch. He made a final search of the horizon before joining her by the water.
"Jamie," he said softly as he sat on his haunches beside her. "Jamie are you alright?"
She sniffled a little and sat up, though she turned away from him. "I just had a bad dream," she said. "I'm fine now. Please go away now, Thelyn."
"Thelyn's asleep," Alcon said.
Jamie turned and looked at him and sighed with relief, "Sorry, Alcon."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," she said, but didn't' sound very convincing.
"You know, Jamie, I'm your friend too," he said seriously.
Jamie looked back at the water that lazily made its way south. The setting moon was reflected on the water and in her eyes. Alcon sat beside her and waited. She stared thoughtfully and finally spoke.
"Your mother was really great, wasn't she?"
"She still is, she has just traveled beyond our reach for the time being," Alcon said.
"My mother made a lot of mistakes," Jamie said. "But I still loved her, even when I said I didn't."
"Children can be very forgiving," he said.
"I think I waited too long to tell her that, and now it is too late," Jamie said sadly. "I have been having dreams about home. I know I couldn't know what's happened, but…"
"It is not unusual to have glimpses of other things in dreams," Alcon said.
"No. Don't tell me that, Alcon, please. I need to believe it wasn't real," she pleaded. "I saw… she was… in a tree, but she hates trees… she was just hanging… staring."
Alcon put an arm around her as the tears returned. "Shhh," he whispered. "Go ahead and grieve, Jamie. Be it true or not, your mother is lost to you now. But you are not alone, not alone, not alone… shhhh." Alcon soothed her tears with soft words in sindarin.
Her small frame was tense and her body racked with violent sobs. Alcon wished Thelyn were awake. He would know what to say to make her feel better. Jamie buried her face in his chest and he just held her. It was all he could do. After a few minutes, she calmed down and he felt her body begin to relax. He looked up and there was still nearly an hour to sunrise.
"Jamie," he said softly.
He looked down and realized she'd cried so hard, she passed out. He carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her back to camp. He laid her on her blanket and covered her up again. He returned to his post to watch and was shortly joined by Thelyn.
"Is she alright?" Thelyn asked.
"She will be in time," Alcon said. "She is grieving over her home. She dreamt her mother was dead."
Thelyn closed his eyes and cringed. No wonder she was so upset. "Has she the gift?"
"I do not know," Alcon said. "It doesn't really matter, does it? The grief for her is the same whether it is true or not. She cannot go home to see for herself, now can she?"
"I wish it had been my watch," Thelyn said.
"It mattered little who was here," Alcon said. "There was nothing to say, only an offer of comfort from a friend."
Thelyn nodded. He still wished it had been his watch.
The morning seemed unusually quiet to Polodrin, but he refused to draw attention to himself to point it out. The brothers seemed to be watching Jamie a little too closely, and Legolas just ignored it. That was just unfair. Polodrin could do nothing right around Jamie, but the Elves hovered over her like honeybees on a rose.
Breakfast came and went and soon they were loaded up and ready to cross the Gladden River. It wasn't overly deep, but the horses would have to swim it. Jamie paused by the banks nervously.
"What do I do?" she asked Legolas.
"Hold on to his mane, and don't let go," Legolas said. "Starsong will do most of it for you." Legolas' horse, Alagos, meaning Windhoof, stepped into the water. He turned back to Jamie. "Follow me, and you'll be fine."
"Don't worry, Jamie," Alcon said. "We're all right here."
They made the crossing without any problems. Jamie was very relieved when Starsong's hooves found dry land again. They rode at a light pace for a while but as the sun rose in the sky, they picked up the pace. It was mid afternoon when they reached the Old Forest road. Legolas halted them at the entrance to the forest he'd called home for two ages.
"There lies our way," he said. "Thankfully the ferry is still here."
The horses were loaded and then everyone stepped onboard the large raft like ferry. When they reached the other side, Quickbeam could not get off the ferry fast enough. They were all safely ashore when Jamie felt drawn to the wood almost uncontrollably. She left Starsong by the water and walked straight into the wood while the others were disembarking. She was completely out of sight before anyone noticed she was gone.
Legolas secured the ferry and turned around. "Where's Jamie?" he asked calmly.
Thelyn spun around nervously. "She was just here," he said. "Jamie! Jamie!" he called.
Legolas walked over to Starsong and stroked his neck. "Where is your lady?" he asked softly as he searched the hard ground for her tracks.
Polodrin hopped down from his horse Midnight and strode over. "Here, let me," he said as he searched the ground. The ground was rock hard and Jamie was so light, there was little to go on. He continued closer to the wood until he saw the grass disturbed. "Here, she came this way."
The others followed as he stepped into the wood where she had just been. Legolas felt a knot in his stomach being here. The wood was strangely still, and he was concerned. Many creatures took refuge in the wood after the Elves left. He hoped Jamie did not run into one.
"Why would she leave?" Thelyn asked with a hint of panic in his voice.
Quickbeam answered, "The wood has recognized her and is calling. She follows the song," he said.
"Then you lead us, Quickbeam. Alcon and I will retrieve the horses and catch up," Legolas said.
Quickbeam heard the nearly inaudible whispers of the trees like a great throng and it was growing. Quickbeam worried for Jamie, for these trees were fickle and tricky. Often they were full of dark mischief. Jamie could be in danger from them. He followed their song with increasing speed until Thelyn and Polodrin had to run to keep up.
Quickbeam suddenly halted and they stood with him and stared in amazement. There in a small clearing by a stream was Jamie. She stood within a perfect circle of trees that seemed to be bowing to her. From above came a shower of soft green leaves that shielded her from their eyes. Thelyn stepped closer, but Quickbeam stopped him. The leaves fell away, and Jamie stood in the same place, clothed in a soft green gown, with ivy and flowers in her long loose hair. She twirled around laughing and then she started to sing. But the music was dark, and her eyes were filled with grief. The brief joy they glimpsed had disappeared and she stood alone in a clearing, singing a dirge.
Oh wretched is the hanging tree
It's burden losing pain and gaining death
Your branches once were wide and free
But now are blighted by hanging's last breath
Alone you stand cursed and abandoned
Save by those who abuse your strong limbs
For facing troubles too great to be pardoned
They prefer to give their lives to a rope's whims…
Legolas and Alcon had caught up and were just staring in disbelief. Polodrin just shook his head.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that," Polodrin said in wonder. "What is she singing?"
Quickbeam's head turned away when the tears on Jamie's face started to fall. "She sings of the hanging tree," he said. "This song is not of the forest's making, it is hers. I cannot watch." And with that he turned back into the wood and out of sight.
Mother in name but not in heart
Loses all and falls apart
A rope and tree just seems so smart
Oh, withered tree, oh, hanging tree
Take this pain away from me
Your branches are the taint of thee
For hanging the life out of she
Who is still within my heart…
"What hanging tree?" Thelyn asked in horror.
Alcon suspected it had to do with Jamie's dream. He did not want to imagine Jamie seeing her mother's death at all, much less a death at her own hands.
Jamie's song trailed off and she fell to her knees in the grass and cried. Thelyn ran out of the woods and fell to his knees beside her. Jamie looked up a moment and then threw herself into his arms and sobbed. Thelyn held her and between sobs he heard her explain the grief. "The trees showed me, it was true. She is gone," she sniffled.
"I'm so sorry, Jamie," Thelyn said softly. He looked up at Legolas as the others joined them. "Let's just make camp here," he said.
Jamie pulled out of his arms, stood and turned away. The vision of her clothed in leaves and flowers suddenly fell away like a lost dream and she stood in her travel clothes again. She shook her head and just said, "I can't stay here, let's keep moving."
Legolas gave a nod. "The road is that way. It's not far. We can make a little progress before nightfall," he said.
Thelyn went to put an arm around Jamie but she shrugged it off. "I'm fine now," she said.
Polodrin watched the entire scene with a pain in his chest. She carried her sorrow alone. He could see in her eyes how very lonely she was. Even the comfort offered from Thelyn, the only one she seemed close to, was rejected.
On the way back to the road they ran into Quickbeam. With the company reunited, They mounted up and headed east on the road. Jamie avoided looking at the wood that surrounded them. How cruel a gift to see the truth of her mother's death in the whispers of these trees. She stared at the road ahead in silence. As darkness descended on the wood, Legolas halted the company and they made camp in a small clearing beside the road.
The men made camp quickly and tended to the horses and dinner. Jamie had been silent since they left the glen. Quickbeam kept her company, but nothing seemed to cheer her mood. She excused herself and went to bed beneath a great oak. Quickbeam stayed to keep watch over her. He did not trust the voices in this wood, and refused to leave her alone to listen. He hummed softly and finally she was able to rest.
Legolas came to talk to him. "What has happened to her here?" he asked.
"Not all trees are kind," Quickbeam said. "I do not trust the old ones here, they are bitter to their roots and anger hangs upon their bark like a thick moss. Jamie should not be left alone here."
"And her song?" Thelyn asked.
"I would not repeat it," Quickbeam said. "It was painful to hear."
Thelyn didn't know what to say. He'd give anything to take her pain away, but for now all he could do was stand by and watch. It was frustrating.
"Once this wood was a place that felt safe and good to me, but it has changed," Legolas said. "The years have not been kind here. We are being watched."
"I feel it," Polodrin said. "I do not think it wise to leave only one on watch."
"I agree," Alcon said. "I will keep watch with Polodrin while you and Thelyn rest."
Legolas turned back to the darkness of the wood and furrowed his brow. He could feel a presence there, and he didn't like it. He wasn't sure he would be able to rest at all, but conceded. If their silent watcher was going to show himself, it would be later. Legolas gave the youngsters a nod and laid down to rest. This was going to be a long night.