Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams

[Nurumaiel]

The company had grown more silent as time wore on, and Liornung felt this keenly. Perhaps it was because of the lands that they travelled. He could not say, but he missed the cheerful songs they had traded and the words that had spoken to each other. Once again his mind drifted towards the Inn at Edoras, and, disturbed, he tried to push the thoughts away. Why did his mind consistently travel to wander through the bright halls of the Inn, to seat itself by the blazing fire and bask in its glow, speaking words of comradeship to Good Secgrof and making pretty Blostma laugh by his ridiculous little tunes? Why, when his life had ever been on the road? He loved the road still and he did not want to abandon it... why did he feel urged to?

"It is the weariness of this long journey, nothing more," he murmured to himself. "Ever before in my travels have I stopped in a lighted inn to sing the night away, and here I have travelled day and night without sight of a home, and ever on and on with no seeming end, and no one in sight save my own companions." It was not that he did not enjoy the company of his friends, but they were too few faces. He wanted an inn full of the faces of friends, not a barren wasteland with only a few familiar faces. He wanted to see little children hanging onto his every word and gazing in awe at the way he played his fiddle.

He chuckled slightly and he remembered the fiddle lesson. Bellyn and Nethwador were children, and Argeleafa was also a child. The way Bellyn and Argeleafa had sat at his feet to hear his songs, and the way Nethwador had played the fiddle with unsure but eager hands... it was what Liornung had grown to love. Well then, he would satisfy himself with what he had. It was, he thought better to have but a few faces of friends than faces of many he did not know.

Bellyn sat not too far from him, and Nethwador had wandered towards them, gazing at Bellyn with hope. It warmed Liornung's heart and his dark thoughts vanished. He held out a hand to the young lad, a friendly, offering hand. "Come, Nethwador," he said, his voice encouraging. "Come sit by me, and sit by the lady Bellyn."

Argeleafa lay awake, huddled in her cloak and gazing up at the stars, her golden tresses spread about her head. She was not sleepy but there seemed nothing else to do. She considered the words that Ædegard had spoken the previous night, and blushed warmly again at the remembrance of them. But she was not now, as she had not been then, displeased by those words. Rather she thrilled in them and was pleased.

She heard Liornung speaking from where he sat with Bellyn, and she propped herself on her elbows and gazed in that direction. Perhaps she would find company there. She stood and pulled her cloak tightly about her shoulders, seeking warmth from it and the fire. Softly she went to Liornung and sat down beside him. He smiled at her. Feeling that she had been in some way welcomed, she sat easily in their company though she said nothing. Ædegard was not too far off, and he was looking at her. She met his eyes and smiled a shy little smile, contemplating the way the firelight flickered across his features.

Nethwador had hesitated and Liornung gestured again. "Come, Nethwador," he said. "I fear it is too late for a fiddle lesson, but we would not grudge you to sit in our company."

[mark12_30]

Nethwador looked at Liornung, and understood the welcome in his eyes. Blond or not, he was easy to like.

He smiled, and listened to the talk. He did not understand it, but he was warmed as much by the acceptance as by the fire.

[Nurumaiel]

Liornung tried not to show himself particularly conscious of Nethwador's presence in an attempt to make the young lad feel more a part of their company. The others were there and Liornung felt grateful for it, but he merely relaxed in their company and did not show any excessive joy in one or the other being there. He did not want Nethwador to feel differently from the group by having more focus put on him, nor did he wish Nethwador to be ignored, so he spoke idle words that concerned everyone, occasionally directing a question to one person but in a general way that offered others to join in.

An idea formed in his mind, and he sat up straighter, intrigued. Good Secgrof had mentioned lightly and perhaps only in jest that he wanted Liornung to compose a ballad of his adventures. Yet as he considered it the idea did not seem too terrible a one. He reflected on what he knew, and regretted what he did not.

"Ædegard," he called gently, beckoning the young man to him. "Ædegard, I would desire to know a deeper history of this 'adventure' we are on. I confess I know only what I have lived through, and nothing of what has happened previous. Tell me in your words what has happened before I arrived in the song."

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Bella had smiled politely when Nethwador had joined them around the fire. She did not quite know how she really felt about Nethwador, and if she had any fleeting opinions they all conflicted and contradicted one another. Argeleafa smiled weakly, a timid look about her as the dark-skinned boy took a seat between Liornung and Bella. Liornung did his best to include everyone in his conversation, and through his warm tone of voice he also made certain not to exclude Nethwador.

Looking over at Nethwador quietly and calmly, Bella considered how he had transformed since they had met. The Gondorian lady remembered how Nethwador, then called 'Pig', had so violently greeted the companions of Amroth. Ferocity shone in his eyes and desperation colored his cheeks. Keeping this image and first impression in her mind Bella examined Nethwador again. He had also been called Mellon, and now Nethwador, and his features had taken on a glow that was much softer than it had once been. His smile sang of childhood and his eyes seemed willing to learn about the people around him.

"Argeleafa," Bella beckoned, just as Liornung called to Ædegard. The Rohirric girl looked up from her blank stare and met Bellyn's gaze, nodding slowly. "I wish to know how you feel...I have not spoken to you much since our meeting...what do you think of our company? On this journey I sometimes feel like I am no help to wherever Amroth goes. Do you think that each of us will play some part? Perhaps we are only on this journey to learn something for ourselves. If so, I am rather anxious and ready to know what it is! What say you?"

As Bella waited for an answer, she smiled kindly to Nethwador next to her and then sent the smile over to Argeleafa as the young woman contemplated an answer.

[Nurumaiel]

Argeleafa reflected upon Bellyn's words before answering. When she did speak her voice was heavy, as if she were weighing her words carefully. "I cannot say, Bellyn, if we are any help to the company or not, for I do not quite know what we are journeying for. Yet I believe that even if we bring no help in wisdom or skill with weapon, you at least have done much in other respects. Your songs have soothed Amroth when he is troubled, and pleased Liornung the bard, and your mere presence teaches Nethwador to act more kindly to us than the first day. Your songs have cheered me, also, for I have been troubled of late."

She studied the twirling, dancing flames of the fire before continuing. "I feel as though none of us can help Amroth, whatever his trouble may be, except the Elves. We can bring him companionship and comfort through kind words and cheery songs, yet I do feel that aside from that I at least am helpless." She bit her lip and dropped her head. "I fear I have been no help or comfort to the company," she murmued softly, "but merely a trouble. Liornung was kind indeed to take me from the wayfarers, but it brought an ignorant, foolish little girl upon your heads to torment you into weariness by her very presence, for she is so ignorant and foolish that she cannot take care of herself and needs others to watch after her."

[littlemanpoet]

"Ædegard," Liornung said, "I would desire to know a deeper history of this 'adventure' we are on. I confess I know only what I have lived through, and nothing of what has happened previous. Tell me in your words what has happened before I arrived in the song."

"I wish that I could tell you more than I can. All I can offer of worth is what happened to me."

He told Liornung of the great snowfall, of digging his way out of his house and building a snow fort, soon accompanied by others, and before long there was a snowball fight of mythic proportions! And Mellon, as Ædegard had known him then, was among his allies. When they tired of the snowball fight, they had retreated to the Inn for some warm brews. Mellon was already coming down with a bad cold then. It was not long before he was fevered, and taken to a room to be cared for. When he woke, he spoke as Amroth, though Ædegard had not known it then. Ædegard had not been sure whether Mellon was being overly clever, or was truly in another mind, as it were, but Bêtheberry, the innkeeper, had told him to be Mellon's friend, for more was at stake than one might seem. Soon Mellon, or Amroth, had departed, and Ædegard had grumbingly pursued - as the thaw set in. A day later he had met Liornung and Bellyn.

"So I remember him before he was Amroth." Ædegard cast his glance to him, and Liornung saw his troubled expression. "I wonder how the young man fares, or whether he is even inside that body anymore, and I wonder if he will ever return."

Liornung nodded gravely. "My thanks, Ædegard. I can imagine some light stanzas as well as dark. It will give some heft to the song."

"I hope not so much that it weighs it down too much!"

Liornung laughed. "Fear not, friend, I do not think I am capable of that!"

Ædegard smiled, and believed that Liornung was right about that. He turned an listened as Bella and Argeleafa exchanged words, and listened with dismay at Argeleafa's final words: "...an ignorant, foolish little girl upon your heads to torment you into weariness by her very presence, for she is so ignorant and foolish that she cannot take care of herself and needs others to watch after her."

"Speak not so, Leafa!" Ædegard's voice rang in the darkness so that it surprised him, but he went on. "It galls me that you think so of yourself! I could never weary of your company. I-" Words failed him. He looked at the others, who were watching him, and cast caution to the wind. Never had he sung before others before. With others, surely, but not alone. His voice quavered at first, but he gained confidence and his voice gained strength, though he was careful to keep his song quiet so that only the humans sitting together could here - unless Elven ears harkened better than he was used to.

Last night she came to me, my dead love came in.
So softly she came that her feet made no din.
She laid her hand on me and this she did say:
'It will not be long, love, 'til our wedding day.'

"Leafa, you brought such beauty amongst us. I'm sure Liornung and Bella, and Nethador, too, think as do I, we would not have it any other way than you here with us."