He was led to another clearing close by and bidden to sit while his strange host kindled a fire. When it was set, they sat in silence, regarding one another with guarded curiosity.

Angrenbor observed his rescuer. He had the look of one of the Rohirrim, the Horse-lords, but the wizard had seen the points on the other's ears. An elf. Or half-elf, at least. He was not very tall, but it was obvious that he was rather young (at least to the reckoning of the Elves). His fair hair fell like a golden river to the small of his back and his gray eyes were sharp and clear. He wore a ring on his left ring finger. It was silver and set with a small topaz, which was surrounded by twelve tiny diamonds (or holes where diamonds should go. Five were missing.)

There were, however, several oddities about this elf. For one thing, he wore steel-rimmed, thick-lensed glasses that he constantly pushed up onto his nose. Another strange thing was his nose in general. It was long, hooked, and crooked, as if broken and not set properly. All these things gave Angrenbor pause. He was not too sure what to make of this weird elf.

This 'weird elf' was returning Angrenbor's scrutiny. What he saw intrigued him. This man didn't look particularly threatening, but there was something about him that made the elf think twice about turning his back on the other. The man couldn't have been very old, but his raven-dark hair was already shot with silver and his crystal green eyes spoke of age far beyond years. He wore travel-stained gray robes and carried a staff of iron. At the head of the staff was set a small silver bowl and in the bowl, the elf could see, lay an orb of green glass that swirled with many subtle colors. Thin bars of iron arched over the globe and caged it within the bowl. He also bore a bright, unadorned ring on the last finger of his right hand. Very strange.

The elf began to speak. "Many years ago, a band of Dunland men settled in yonder glade. They hoped to gain the favor of Lady Galadriel and be permitted to live within the bounds of Lothlorien.

"But in trying to please her, they incurred her wrath. So the Lady barred them from Lorien forever. Many think that this was too harsh, but the Lady of the Wood is not easily aroused to anger, nor is she easily appeased.

"The men were angered, and sought to avenge their wounded pride. They sought out the Galadrim and murdered all they could find, as well as all elves and elf-friends. This was too great an offense, and added to Galadriel's curse came the Lord Celeborn's: binding the Dunlanders to their glade that they may never leave. All men and elves avoided that place and were safe.

"But that with that curse came certain side-affects. When the men finally died, they remained in the wood as wraiths, trapped forever. If anyone is so foolish-" and here he glared pointedly at Angrenbor "-as to enter their home, they are enchanted by the wraith's music and when they are ensnared, the men feed on their living souls."

Angrenbor gulped, realizing just how close he had come to dying back there. "I see. Thank you for rescuing me. I did not know this tale and was ignorant of the...ramifications of staying in that place."

Briar Rose chose that moment to appear from the bushes behind the elf. "You were warned," she said quietly. The elf spun around, leaping to his feet as Angrenbor snarled, "Briar Rose!"

The hobbit, seeing that she had spoken a bit too boldly, stepped back in fear. "Lord, I-I-"

"You ran. You deliberately disobeyed my orders and fled like the coward that you are!" He knocked her to the ground and began to beat her, his staff viciously striking her back and shoulders as the halfling curled soundlessly into a ball.

Then suddenly the elf was there, standing over the hobbit and gripping Angrenbor's staff with both hands trying to wrest it from him. "What are you doing? Have you gone mad?"

Briar Rose dashed from beneath the two as they faced off. Angrenbor huffily jerked his staff from the elf's grasp. "It's none of your business how I treat my property, so step aside!" The wizard's eyes glinted dangerously at this, but the elf was oblivious.

"Your property? Look, in this part of the world, no person is anyone else's property. Especially not a woman."

That reined in Angrenbor's wrath. "What else are women for, if not for work and pleasure?"

Pushing up his glasses with one finger, the elf considered this. "Women are for cherishing, for preserving, for loving. They represent all that is light and beautiful in the world. They are indeed stronger than we think and they do indeed serve as pleasurable company, but these are no reasons to treat them as if they are lower than ourselves."

Angrenbor sat down with a thump, causing Briar Rose to flinch and scoot just a little further away from him.

"Who are you, to know these things?" the wizard asked dully. "Answer carefully, for in saying these things you revoke years of teaching."

The elf sat down slowly. "I am...the son of the Lord of Imladris. Yaonorme is my name. I have lived all my life among the elves, but I have also seen many things in many places. I speak truly: only those in the dark places of the earth treat women as you do."

Angrenbor smirked. "I was born in the dark places of the earth, and in them I was raised."

Yaonorme leaned forward attentively. "Tell me."

So Angrenbor told his tale, and this is how it ran: