[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Aislan nodded in reply, but said naught. Turning to Midnight, she smiled at the black stallion and led him back towards the stables. Such wondrous stables they were, and Aislan would always keep the sight of them in her memory.

Entering the stables, Aislan saw Whinny again. She felt a stab of guilt for leaving the helpless pony, and wondered what she would do without proper medicines to care for her. Cleaning the wound quickly but thoroughly, Aislan let Midnight wander about the Stables of Laurëondo. When she was done, Aislan went back to her original duty, hoping that Whinny was in fact, not poisoned. Aislan promised herself that she would look later for herbs for Whinny, since Calimiel’s untimely demise kept the captive of the castle from helping in any way.

“You don’t have to bear rider,” Aislan began, talking to the Midnight as she readied him to wear a saddle. “Only a saddle, and a written message. I know you can do that.”

Aislan easily lifted a saddle for Midnight, and gently placed it over the woolen blanket she had left on his back. Midnight grunted, as if to complain. Aislan rolled her eyes and then turned to face Midnight’s dark eyes.

“You’re a good boy, I’ll tell you that. No whining, you hear?” Aislan pat the horse she had become quite accustomed to on the forehead. “I’m sure Gandalf will want to give you the message pretty soon. Go ahead!” Aislan wrapped her arm around the horse’s neck one more time, patted him goodbye, and then turned back to the stables.

Looking around the great stables, Aislan could not help but want a memory of it. Didn’t Gandalf say we were allowed to have one treasure? She thought, and nodded to herself. Aislan decided to find something small, if only to remind her always of her adventure here. Gazing at everything, Aislan jumped to notice her ghost-friend Daerohil nearby. Grinning, Aislan waved. She had taken great humor in the ghost-boy, for he was a more kindly and upbeat spirit than his other housemates that Aislan had met.

There, left on the rail of one of the stalls, was a currycomb. Aislan went to pick it up. On the opposite side of the standard metal teeth, the handle was gold-colored. With what little Elvish Aislan could read, she made out the letter ‘L’ engraved into the comb. It was a small treasure, but one that Aislan hoped to keep forever, to remind her of her stay at Laurëondo.

A slight whimper from behind her brought Aislan back to reality. Now to help Whinny…Aislan thought. She wondered where she could find the herbs.

“Daerohil. Can you still hear me? Do you know where the herbs are?” Aislan asked the stable lad, and wondered how much he had understood.