View Single Post
Old 05-10-2004, 08:16 PM   #199
littlemanpoet
Itinerant Songster
 
littlemanpoet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: The Edge of Faerie
Posts: 7,072
littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Tolkien Anorien: Raefindan

The merchant eyed Mellonin distrustfully. "Lord Fingon, eh?" His tone dripped with suspicion. "Prove it. You are no lord. Prove it to me, or your judgement is false. Worse, if you are no lord, you lie and are no better than this thief, who at least has admitted his crime." The merchant walked up to Mellonin with measured steps, staring into her face. He got up close and sneered into her face, "Prove it, girl." He grinned, then laughed. "Some lord, so soft of face and rough of hand! You'll have to do better than that!" He laughed even harder, then broke off and scowled. "The boy has spoken his crime. Since he stole from me, his punishment is mine to mete out."

Raefindan spoke up. "Sir, you have us at a disadvantage. But we need this boy and his sister." Raefindan did not know precisely why this was so, but it seemed to him that it was so, and would be proven in the future. His own usefulness to this party was more in doubt, as far as he was concerned.

"Take me as hostage until the boy returns to Gondor."

"No!" Mellonin cried, forfeiting all pretense to manhood.

The merchant regarded Raefindan, rubbing his unshaven chin. "What use would you be to me, Red?"

"I will serve as your steward, if you would have it so."

"Raefindan! No!" She ran to him and whispered into his ear, "The dreams!" So that was his usefulness. He had forgotten in the chaos of the day's events; but he had made his offer, and there it stood.

"What does she whisper to you, Red?"

"It has to do with our quest."

"A quest, eh? Tell me of it."
littlemanpoet is offline