Chapter 12
Nen
All five of them had gotten an odd feeling of unrest the closer they got to the town of Nen, and now that they had arrived and were slowly riding down the main street, none of them could shake the feeling. As they rode toward the small clapboard building that was obviously the stable, they could not help but notice the strange looks they were garnering from the townspeople as they passed them. When a pair of young boys even went as far as to run away from the strangers that had entered their town, Súrion leaned towards Saeros and whispered to his friend.
"See, I told you that you should have bathed this morning."
The only response from Saeros was a sound that could have indicated anything from agreement to displeasure.
When the group reached the stables and had dismounted, an older man walked toward them, smiling. It was the first overture of friendliness they had encountered so far.
"Good morning to you fine folks. May I take your horses for you?"
Anayah smiled in return.
"We would be ever so grateful if you would kind sir, for our horses are weary from their long travels."
The stable keeper looked up at the giant black stallion standing in front of him and after a momentary nervousness, smiled.
"Will these fine animals have any special requirements, my Lady?"
"Nothing special, sir, just a warm bed, a full belly and a groomed hide." She affectionately scratched Elias behind the ears as he lowered his head, clearly begging for a little attention.
"You may rest assured that your four-legged friends will be treated as honored guests in this fine establishment. Our Inn for non four-legged folk is just down the street to your right," he indicated with one wrinkled and gnarled hand, "where the Inn Keeper will be happy to see to all your personal needs. I hope that you will enjoy your stay in Nen."
"Thank you sir."
The five elves, took their weapons and packs off their horses and after giving the reins of their mounts to the Stable Master's assistants, walked down the street to the Inn.
After they had settled into their rooms, the guards met with Anayah in her room.
"I get this almost overwhelming feeling that something strange has happened here. What do the four of you think?"
Semoro was shaking his head. "I have seen nothing too odd although the attitudes of the townspeople towards us when we arrived was a little unsettling."
The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well, whether it is apparent to all of us or not, something has happened here and I want to find out what it is. This is how I would like to handle this matter. Rahan and I will go find the leader of this town and see what we can find out from him because I think hearing his side of the story will be a most excellent place to start and could enlighten us to many things."
Rahan nodded in agreement.
"Semoro, I want you to take Saeros and Súrion and walk the town from one end to the other and get an impression of what we are going to be working with as far as town layout and personal attitudes. See if you can get any of the townspeople to talk to you and please, make an extra effort not to look too intimidating." She looked at the three elves and snorted sarcastically, trying to imagine them NOT looking intimidating.
"Súrion, try and get an impression from the trees. See if they have anything to say."
The Silvan Elf nodded in agreement.
"I want the three of you to be alert for anything that seems unusual or out of place. Let us all meet in the tavern about the noon hour. I do not think I need to remind you to be as discreet as possible and to not frighten the townspeople any more than they already are."
The three elves turned to leave but Anayah called them back.
"One more thing - keep your hoods up if at all possible or until you get the all-clear from either Rahan or myself. Considering the circumstances that bring us here, these people may be a little frightened by a group of unknown elves riding into their town."
The three elves nodded to both her and Rahan then took their leave of the two at which time Anayah turned to her wounded Captain.
"And how about you? Are you fit or are you in pain?"
Rahan opened his mouth to tell her that he was fit but stopped himself when he saw the young she-elf raise her eyebrow. After he remarked to himself that the raised eyebrow must be the personal trademark of the Peredhel family, he answered.
"There is still some minor discomfort but it will not hinder our efforts today."
Anayah, seemingly satisfied, patted the big elf on his good arm and smiled at him.
"Good enough, my friend although I will trust that if the pain worsens you will tell me immediately. Then, if all is well for the moment, I suggest that we go and try to find us a town leader."
The final two elves of the group left their room at the inn, quietly closing the door behind them.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
After asking the Inn Keeper how to find the town's leader, Anayah and Rahan were directed to a small building about two doors down from the Inn where they were staying. When they arrived at the building they had been directed to, Anayah knocked on the door. It was opened by a somewhat short, stout-looking human with dark hair that was greying at the temples who, upon seeing his two visitors, paused for a moment, studying them, before he invited them to enter.
"Come in, please."
Though the human had greeted them civilly enough, both elves noticed that he looked both of them over carefully, studying them closely. Once the two were inside the room, they stood for a moment looking at the somewhat spartan decor before their host motioned them through an open door into what was obviously the man's office.
"Please, have a seat."
Anayah bowed her head slightly and took the offered seat while Rahan stood by the door, keeping a keen ear alert, listening to what was happening outside of the room as well as within.
"What is it that I can do for you?" The man's statement was an obvious indication that conversation could begin.
Anayah lowered her eyes as well as her hood and, following her lead, Rahan also lowered his. The first step had been made, the first diplomatic card placed face up on the table. Subtly, and without words, Anayah had just identified her group, her race and her purpose - all of this just by lowering the hood of her cloak. By lowering her eyes, her move changed from aggressive to passive; by lowering the hood of her cloak, she had identified her race as Elven and her purpose then became obvious. By Rahan's presence, she had also let the human know that she had not come alone and that she was serious about her purpose.
The human, though he tried not to show his emotions, seemed somewhat surprised when he saw Anayah as well as the sword that she wore. He swallowed hard then rose from his seat, wiping the palm of his hand on his own pants leg then extending his hand towards her, realizing, as he watched her rise, that not only was she a female elf, but a warrior as well.
"My name is Thorn and I am the leader of the town of Nen. Welcome to our little town."
After acknowledging his introduction, Anayah introduced herself.
"Thank you for your kind introduction Master Thorn. I am Lady Anayah Dúnedhel, and I come to you at the petition of Elrond, Noldor Lord of Imladris, to try and assist you in resolving your current dilemma concerning an Elf."
She watched the man closely for his reaction to her use of name and title as well as the name and title of her Lord. It had been her hope that by using such during their introduction, the human would know that his problem had been carefully considered and none other than a titled representative had been sent to his aid. The human did his best to execute a small bow as he again took her hand.
"Welcome to Nen, my Lady."
"Lady Anayah, please, Master Thorn."
"As you wish." He smiled and inclined his head again.
Walking around the desk and politely taking the human by the arm, she walked him to where her Captain stood, looking like a dark storm cloud on two legs. For his part, Rahan did not fail to notice the slight frown that appeared briefly on Anayah's face and understanding the meaning behind the expression, he carefully schooled a more neutral expression on his face as he was introduced to the human.
"Master Thorn, this is Rahan, the Captain of my escort."
Rahan bowed slightly.
"Your escort? How many of you are there?"
"My escort numbers four, Master Human. Is that going to pose a problem for you?"
Thorn shifted nervously from one foot to the other and had to clear his throat twice before he could again find his voice. His actions were duly noted by both elves although they remained silent on the matter, their expressions neutral. With one final look at the big elf who remained standing by the door, Thorn escorted Anayah back to her seat and after she seemed comfortable, he again walked around his desk and sat.
"How may I be of service to you, Lady Anayah?"
Since subtlety would not be of much use in a conversation with a human who did not seem to care overly much for Elves, Anayah got right to the point.
"The report I received, Master Thorn, seemed to indicate that you have a small mystery on your hands."
Almost to the point of interrupting her, Thorn spoke. Keeping the irritation off of her face that she felt at his rudeness, she listened to the man.
"There is no mystery about the fact that the elf we are holding in our jail murdered a young girl." The human folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair, waiting for vehement denials and defenses of the elf. However, he was clearly not prepared for the reaction he did get.
"Master Thorn, could you please tell me the details of this attack for I am a little confused as to how the actual chain of events unfolded." It was hard for Anayah to keep the smile off her face when the human opened and closed his mouth soundlessly after not receiving the reaction he had expected.
"Two of the men of our town heard the young girl screaming and ran to her aid. When they arrived in the alley, they saw the elf standing over her bloody body with two very long swords in his hands."
"Long swords? Were these swords as long as mine?" Anayah indicated the sword which hung at her side.
"Yes, Lady Anayah, both swords were that long."
"I see." Though Anayah knew many elves who fought with two long knives, she knew of no elf who fought with two swords other than herself, but she did not attempt to dispute the human at that moment.
"The elf stabbed the little girl? How many times was she struck, Master Human?"
"Yes and several. When our men got there, there was blood all over the ally as well as all over the walls of the adjoining buildings."
"I see. And how is the little girl now? Did she survive the attack?"
"No, I am afraid that the girl died in the ally where she had been attacked. Her parents were so grief-stricken over their daughter's murder that they left town shortly afterwards, saying that they would never again be able to live in the town where she had died."
"May I speak to the Elf, Master Thorn?"
Thorn seemed to bristle at this.
"Are you saying that you do not believe me? Are you saying that I am lying?"
The human rose to his feet but thought better of going any further with what he saw as his righteous anger when he saw the big elf who had been standing quietly at the door, take a step forward.
For her part, Anayah remained in her seat and though irritated by the human's anger, remained calm and passive.
"Peace, Master Human. That is not what I am saying at all for it is neither my place nor my desire to pass judgement at this time, but you seem like such a wise and fair man, and I am sure that you understand that fairness applies to all sides in any issue. I was only thinking that if I talked to the elf that I might be able to determine what motivated him to harm a young child." When she saw the human sitting before her visibly relax at her calm words and tone of voice, she continued.
"Even among elves, Master Thorn, we frown on anyone that willfully harms a child. We do not strike other elves at all except under extreme circumstances, and, I assure you, it is an unthinkable and unforgivable act to strike a child, much less kill one. Some of us have lived for thousands of years without ever having seen a child harmed by another elf."
Seeing the look on the human's face, she gestured toward her Captain.
"My Captain, here, is 3,500 years old, though he is not considered ancient, even by Elven standards. My Lord Elrond is over 6,000 years of age."
She waited quietly for some moments as she saw the human's eyes widen in surprise at the age of the "ancient" elf still standing by the door.
"Now I am not saying that this type of incident has never happened before because I would be lying to you if I did say such."
The human, who had been listening carefully to her then spoke up.
"Well, what do the elves do when something like this does happen?"
"We will put that elf down, Master Thorn - it is as simple as that." She looked directly at the human when she said this, noting as she did, the way all the blood seemed to drain from the man's face.
"How can you say it like that? Somehow it seems so cold."
"Why should we not say it like that? We are Ilúvatar's firstborn and with that fact comes a tremendous responsibility to see that we remain worthy of the honor and privileges he has bestowed on us. If the heart of an elf has fallen so far into darkness that he will commit such an act as this, then putting him down is a mercy both to the elf and to those he has harmed."
Thorn remained sitting, thinking about what he had just been told. Seeming to have made his mind up on the matter, he rose from his chair and walked toward the door.
"If you will please follow me, I will take you to our jail and you can see and talk to your elf."
Opening the door, Thorn allowed Anayah to pass through first. He was about to allow Rahan through afterwards but when he looked up into the elf's face, he thought better of saying anything and scooted after her, allowing the elf to follow and close the door behind them all.
TBC
Grumpy: Welcome! I am glad you liked the chapter. Most everything in the following chapters contain clues that will explain the mystery.
DesolateAznVamp: Thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy this chapter! This is the other town I was telling you about - and yes, it is mine! LOL!
Nen
All five of them had gotten an odd feeling of unrest the closer they got to the town of Nen, and now that they had arrived and were slowly riding down the main street, none of them could shake the feeling. As they rode toward the small clapboard building that was obviously the stable, they could not help but notice the strange looks they were garnering from the townspeople as they passed them. When a pair of young boys even went as far as to run away from the strangers that had entered their town, Súrion leaned towards Saeros and whispered to his friend.
"See, I told you that you should have bathed this morning."
The only response from Saeros was a sound that could have indicated anything from agreement to displeasure.
When the group reached the stables and had dismounted, an older man walked toward them, smiling. It was the first overture of friendliness they had encountered so far.
"Good morning to you fine folks. May I take your horses for you?"
Anayah smiled in return.
"We would be ever so grateful if you would kind sir, for our horses are weary from their long travels."
The stable keeper looked up at the giant black stallion standing in front of him and after a momentary nervousness, smiled.
"Will these fine animals have any special requirements, my Lady?"
"Nothing special, sir, just a warm bed, a full belly and a groomed hide." She affectionately scratched Elias behind the ears as he lowered his head, clearly begging for a little attention.
"You may rest assured that your four-legged friends will be treated as honored guests in this fine establishment. Our Inn for non four-legged folk is just down the street to your right," he indicated with one wrinkled and gnarled hand, "where the Inn Keeper will be happy to see to all your personal needs. I hope that you will enjoy your stay in Nen."
"Thank you sir."
The five elves, took their weapons and packs off their horses and after giving the reins of their mounts to the Stable Master's assistants, walked down the street to the Inn.
After they had settled into their rooms, the guards met with Anayah in her room.
"I get this almost overwhelming feeling that something strange has happened here. What do the four of you think?"
Semoro was shaking his head. "I have seen nothing too odd although the attitudes of the townspeople towards us when we arrived was a little unsettling."
The others nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well, whether it is apparent to all of us or not, something has happened here and I want to find out what it is. This is how I would like to handle this matter. Rahan and I will go find the leader of this town and see what we can find out from him because I think hearing his side of the story will be a most excellent place to start and could enlighten us to many things."
Rahan nodded in agreement.
"Semoro, I want you to take Saeros and Súrion and walk the town from one end to the other and get an impression of what we are going to be working with as far as town layout and personal attitudes. See if you can get any of the townspeople to talk to you and please, make an extra effort not to look too intimidating." She looked at the three elves and snorted sarcastically, trying to imagine them NOT looking intimidating.
"Súrion, try and get an impression from the trees. See if they have anything to say."
The Silvan Elf nodded in agreement.
"I want the three of you to be alert for anything that seems unusual or out of place. Let us all meet in the tavern about the noon hour. I do not think I need to remind you to be as discreet as possible and to not frighten the townspeople any more than they already are."
The three elves turned to leave but Anayah called them back.
"One more thing - keep your hoods up if at all possible or until you get the all-clear from either Rahan or myself. Considering the circumstances that bring us here, these people may be a little frightened by a group of unknown elves riding into their town."
The three elves nodded to both her and Rahan then took their leave of the two at which time Anayah turned to her wounded Captain.
"And how about you? Are you fit or are you in pain?"
Rahan opened his mouth to tell her that he was fit but stopped himself when he saw the young she-elf raise her eyebrow. After he remarked to himself that the raised eyebrow must be the personal trademark of the Peredhel family, he answered.
"There is still some minor discomfort but it will not hinder our efforts today."
Anayah, seemingly satisfied, patted the big elf on his good arm and smiled at him.
"Good enough, my friend although I will trust that if the pain worsens you will tell me immediately. Then, if all is well for the moment, I suggest that we go and try to find us a town leader."
The final two elves of the group left their room at the inn, quietly closing the door behind them.
8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
After asking the Inn Keeper how to find the town's leader, Anayah and Rahan were directed to a small building about two doors down from the Inn where they were staying. When they arrived at the building they had been directed to, Anayah knocked on the door. It was opened by a somewhat short, stout-looking human with dark hair that was greying at the temples who, upon seeing his two visitors, paused for a moment, studying them, before he invited them to enter.
"Come in, please."
Though the human had greeted them civilly enough, both elves noticed that he looked both of them over carefully, studying them closely. Once the two were inside the room, they stood for a moment looking at the somewhat spartan decor before their host motioned them through an open door into what was obviously the man's office.
"Please, have a seat."
Anayah bowed her head slightly and took the offered seat while Rahan stood by the door, keeping a keen ear alert, listening to what was happening outside of the room as well as within.
"What is it that I can do for you?" The man's statement was an obvious indication that conversation could begin.
Anayah lowered her eyes as well as her hood and, following her lead, Rahan also lowered his. The first step had been made, the first diplomatic card placed face up on the table. Subtly, and without words, Anayah had just identified her group, her race and her purpose - all of this just by lowering the hood of her cloak. By lowering her eyes, her move changed from aggressive to passive; by lowering the hood of her cloak, she had identified her race as Elven and her purpose then became obvious. By Rahan's presence, she had also let the human know that she had not come alone and that she was serious about her purpose.
The human, though he tried not to show his emotions, seemed somewhat surprised when he saw Anayah as well as the sword that she wore. He swallowed hard then rose from his seat, wiping the palm of his hand on his own pants leg then extending his hand towards her, realizing, as he watched her rise, that not only was she a female elf, but a warrior as well.
"My name is Thorn and I am the leader of the town of Nen. Welcome to our little town."
After acknowledging his introduction, Anayah introduced herself.
"Thank you for your kind introduction Master Thorn. I am Lady Anayah Dúnedhel, and I come to you at the petition of Elrond, Noldor Lord of Imladris, to try and assist you in resolving your current dilemma concerning an Elf."
She watched the man closely for his reaction to her use of name and title as well as the name and title of her Lord. It had been her hope that by using such during their introduction, the human would know that his problem had been carefully considered and none other than a titled representative had been sent to his aid. The human did his best to execute a small bow as he again took her hand.
"Welcome to Nen, my Lady."
"Lady Anayah, please, Master Thorn."
"As you wish." He smiled and inclined his head again.
Walking around the desk and politely taking the human by the arm, she walked him to where her Captain stood, looking like a dark storm cloud on two legs. For his part, Rahan did not fail to notice the slight frown that appeared briefly on Anayah's face and understanding the meaning behind the expression, he carefully schooled a more neutral expression on his face as he was introduced to the human.
"Master Thorn, this is Rahan, the Captain of my escort."
Rahan bowed slightly.
"Your escort? How many of you are there?"
"My escort numbers four, Master Human. Is that going to pose a problem for you?"
Thorn shifted nervously from one foot to the other and had to clear his throat twice before he could again find his voice. His actions were duly noted by both elves although they remained silent on the matter, their expressions neutral. With one final look at the big elf who remained standing by the door, Thorn escorted Anayah back to her seat and after she seemed comfortable, he again walked around his desk and sat.
"How may I be of service to you, Lady Anayah?"
Since subtlety would not be of much use in a conversation with a human who did not seem to care overly much for Elves, Anayah got right to the point.
"The report I received, Master Thorn, seemed to indicate that you have a small mystery on your hands."
Almost to the point of interrupting her, Thorn spoke. Keeping the irritation off of her face that she felt at his rudeness, she listened to the man.
"There is no mystery about the fact that the elf we are holding in our jail murdered a young girl." The human folded his arms across his chest and sat back in his chair, waiting for vehement denials and defenses of the elf. However, he was clearly not prepared for the reaction he did get.
"Master Thorn, could you please tell me the details of this attack for I am a little confused as to how the actual chain of events unfolded." It was hard for Anayah to keep the smile off her face when the human opened and closed his mouth soundlessly after not receiving the reaction he had expected.
"Two of the men of our town heard the young girl screaming and ran to her aid. When they arrived in the alley, they saw the elf standing over her bloody body with two very long swords in his hands."
"Long swords? Were these swords as long as mine?" Anayah indicated the sword which hung at her side.
"Yes, Lady Anayah, both swords were that long."
"I see." Though Anayah knew many elves who fought with two long knives, she knew of no elf who fought with two swords other than herself, but she did not attempt to dispute the human at that moment.
"The elf stabbed the little girl? How many times was she struck, Master Human?"
"Yes and several. When our men got there, there was blood all over the ally as well as all over the walls of the adjoining buildings."
"I see. And how is the little girl now? Did she survive the attack?"
"No, I am afraid that the girl died in the ally where she had been attacked. Her parents were so grief-stricken over their daughter's murder that they left town shortly afterwards, saying that they would never again be able to live in the town where she had died."
"May I speak to the Elf, Master Thorn?"
Thorn seemed to bristle at this.
"Are you saying that you do not believe me? Are you saying that I am lying?"
The human rose to his feet but thought better of going any further with what he saw as his righteous anger when he saw the big elf who had been standing quietly at the door, take a step forward.
For her part, Anayah remained in her seat and though irritated by the human's anger, remained calm and passive.
"Peace, Master Human. That is not what I am saying at all for it is neither my place nor my desire to pass judgement at this time, but you seem like such a wise and fair man, and I am sure that you understand that fairness applies to all sides in any issue. I was only thinking that if I talked to the elf that I might be able to determine what motivated him to harm a young child." When she saw the human sitting before her visibly relax at her calm words and tone of voice, she continued.
"Even among elves, Master Thorn, we frown on anyone that willfully harms a child. We do not strike other elves at all except under extreme circumstances, and, I assure you, it is an unthinkable and unforgivable act to strike a child, much less kill one. Some of us have lived for thousands of years without ever having seen a child harmed by another elf."
Seeing the look on the human's face, she gestured toward her Captain.
"My Captain, here, is 3,500 years old, though he is not considered ancient, even by Elven standards. My Lord Elrond is over 6,000 years of age."
She waited quietly for some moments as she saw the human's eyes widen in surprise at the age of the "ancient" elf still standing by the door.
"Now I am not saying that this type of incident has never happened before because I would be lying to you if I did say such."
The human, who had been listening carefully to her then spoke up.
"Well, what do the elves do when something like this does happen?"
"We will put that elf down, Master Thorn - it is as simple as that." She looked directly at the human when she said this, noting as she did, the way all the blood seemed to drain from the man's face.
"How can you say it like that? Somehow it seems so cold."
"Why should we not say it like that? We are Ilúvatar's firstborn and with that fact comes a tremendous responsibility to see that we remain worthy of the honor and privileges he has bestowed on us. If the heart of an elf has fallen so far into darkness that he will commit such an act as this, then putting him down is a mercy both to the elf and to those he has harmed."
Thorn remained sitting, thinking about what he had just been told. Seeming to have made his mind up on the matter, he rose from his chair and walked toward the door.
"If you will please follow me, I will take you to our jail and you can see and talk to your elf."
Opening the door, Thorn allowed Anayah to pass through first. He was about to allow Rahan through afterwards but when he looked up into the elf's face, he thought better of saying anything and scooted after her, allowing the elf to follow and close the door behind them all.
TBC
Grumpy: Welcome! I am glad you liked the chapter. Most everything in the following chapters contain clues that will explain the mystery.
DesolateAznVamp: Thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy this chapter! This is the other town I was telling you about - and yes, it is mine! LOL!