Long Lost Leaves - part II

[Mari]

Ellysa peeked from behind Carnehilion's back at all these new people. She started to feel a bit lost these days with so many people near and she felt like she only knew half of them somewhat. It was a scary thought. Where was Nami?

Searchingly, Ellysa looked around, but she couldn't find Nami and Aelfwine still seemed very busy with that new man. Abasi was nowhere to be found either. She tightened her grip on Carnehilion and asked him in a small voice: "Can I eat with you tonight? And pet your horse?"

Being sociable and making lots of friends as she intended to do when she first got to know the group started to seem impossible with so many people to be sociable with...

[The last sane person]

Carnehillion himself was rather lost amidst all these new people, so he did the one thing he knew worked. Keep an eye on them, acknowledge them on occasion and otherwise keep to himself. He nodded his acknowledgement to the new slew of elves, keeping his face neutral under his beard.

In a world of his own as he rode, he was brought out of his revery by Bahar snorting and Ellysa asking him a question.

"Huh? What? Oh, sorry, was off wandering my way to Elysium. Yeh, I'd like that. Figure on making myself some venison strips. I managed to picked up some cooking grease before we got run out of town."

Ellysa nodded happily, "I'd like that, thanks. Can you show me the different parts of the saddle again?"

"Sure thing, you've already gotten better and less tense since the first day. You'll get the hang of it."

Having sorted that out, the both fell into silence, and Carnehillion's mind went back to wandering She's a nice one, at least. I guess it's not too bad.

[feawen]

Nami, feeling slightly saddle sore after traveling, dismooted and lead her horse towards the water. The poor thing looked thirty, Nami felt the same. She patted the horses neck as it begain to drink from the river. "Lets get you sorted out first shall we and then make our introductions."
Part of Nami wished that they would be traveling up stream towards the elf king grand halls and towards her family. The other half of herself disagreed. You left that place to see the world, you've not even started yet.
Looking around herself, Nami noticed Ellysa shying away from the group. It much he scary for her, used to the open deserted sands to be thrown into a group of ever growing strangers. Nami made a mentle note not to get to excited about other elves being around and to talk to Ellysa for a while.

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine looked around, taking in the new elves. This group seemed to be getting bigger by the day.
"Exactly how many of those letters did Gandalf send?" she asked. Aelfwine was begining to wonder how many would be joining their group.

[Earniel]

The Raft-Elves pointed the travellers to a make-shift coral they had constructed where the horses could be stabled when they were be unsaddled and taken care of. While the company saw to their horses, the Raft-Elves put up folding tables and took plates out of hidden storage-holes.

The had their fixed camps along the Celduin river, where they kept those things like plates and extra gear, stored. After all, one never knows what might befall on the river, and sometimes, in places where the water was wild, things fall of the rafts and get lost. There even was a small clay oven in the camp. Smells of roasted pike wafted up and into the noses of the hungry travellers.

The Elves sang while laying out a sober, but full table for their guests. There was bread, butter, dried fruits and nuts and soon: roast fish.

[Midge]

Aerin dismounted Glaeren and led the tired horse to the corral with Magor leading his two horses at her side. After seeing them well fed and watered and considerably comfortable, they came back to the large group, the raft-elves working hard to prepare as tasty a meal as could be found on a journey such as this one.

Aerin busied herself with what work she could find, discovering that she truly didn't want to just sit around and uncomfortably watch the elves make a dinner for them. Ever reliable, Haldis gave her some blankets to air out for the night; apparently, they would camp here for a night, or possibly a few.

After Aerin had beat all the horse-dust off the blankets and found appropriate places to spread them out where they would stay dry and still be smelling of clean river air by bedtime, she came back to camp to see that the raft-elves were nearly finished with their meal-making.

She disconcertedly found herself feeling responsible for Magor, as though her introducing him to this group made him much like her child. She scanned the area where everyone was sitting and noticed the man sitting on the ground cross-legged beside Ingwionis and his burgeoning wife. She gave him a puzzled look with one eyebrow and he returned it with a wide grin. She knew she'd be hearing all about it later.

She turned back to the raft-elves, who had just finished preparing the fish and were standing to pass it around for everyone. She accepted some and found a seat beside the elf who had stood up and announced her possession of a letter from Gandalf. Apparently, the rest of the group was wary of their newly acquired acquaintance, for she had been given a wide berth by the small groups of friends that had formed in their company.

Munching on their fish, she and the elf (whose name was Barufiniel, though she didn't mind being called Baru, Aerin noted) had introduced themselves and moved on to questions of history. Baru had been quicker and genuinely interested in Aerin's seemingly long past story. After about ten minutes of talking, Aerin finished:

"... after Haldis led me out of that wretched hole, I joined this company and have come thus far with them. You said you had a letter from Gandalf? I never knew him well. How did you know him, and from whence do you come?"

[Varnafindë]

"I've known Gandalf for three hundred years," Barufiniel - or Baru, as she was known among friends - said. "That's how long I've been living in Rivendell, and he used to come there a lot, so I've met him often."

She smiled, looking distant for a few moments.

"But that's not where I first met him,' she said.

"My parents had been living in Rohan for a while when I was born. Then they moved elsewhere for some time, and I grew up far away.
When they left for the West, I went back to Rohan - but as I knew nobody there, I decided to make my way to Rivendell, where I would find my kinsmen.
I made some friends in Rohan who helped me finding the way, and we got involved in one of Gandalf's adventures.
We got stuck in Tharbad during much of the Long Winter, in the year 2758 and 59 of the Third Age. Then Gandalf came south to search for help for the Hobbits of the Shire, who were suffering from the cold and from the lack of food, since the early snowfall had destroyed most of the crops that year.
I and my friends met him in Tharbad and went with him to the Shire to help. That was the first time I met Hobbits as well - they are such delightful people! When we had finished helping them out - or helped them helping each other, I should say - we went on to Rivendell. And then I settled in Rivendell and have been living there ever since."

[Earniel]

"Rivendell..", said Branwyn who was sitting opposite of Aerin and Barufiniel, and who had overheard their conversation. "I have read many things about Rivendell in the scrolls of the Minas Tirith Library. It is said it is difficult to find and protected by magic. Supposedly you can only find it with a guide so that suddenly a valley you did not know was there, looms before you, and you finally lay eyes on Imladris of old..."

His eyes lost focus for a moment, while he recalled the ancient descriptions he had read of it.

"It must be a fountain of history and knowledge," he went on. "I have often wished to visit it. Tell me, miss, is the Library of Rivendell as impressive as the rumours go?"

[Varnafindë]

"I don't know about magic when it comes to finding it - but it is very difficult to find," Barufiniel said. "If you don't look at exactly the right spot at exactly the right moment, you'll bypass it and never know it was there. Having a guide is best, if you want to be really sure of finding it. In other ways it has been protected by magic, though - but mostly by the power of Elrond's ring. I guess it will be different now when he has left."

She sighed.

"A lot of the history and knowledge has left with all those who left for the West," she said, the sadness audible in her voice. "Many of my friends ... but I want to see more of Middle-earth before I go. I hope Elladan and Elrohir will stay as well, at least for a long while. I don't think they've made their final decision yet.
But at least most of the library is left behind. Yes, it is impressive! I'll try to keep it in order, so that people can still come to Rivendell to use it, even though Elrond isn't there any more."

[Mari]

Ellysa sat next to Carnehillion eating. Carnehilion wasn't the talkative sort of person, so Ellysa ate in silence while looking around.
There were a lot of new people but no one had bothered to come over and make their acquaintance. I wonder if they would mind if I talked to them. They might not like me. What should I do?

Uneasily she looked at the Man called Magor who had occupied Aelfwine and the Elf Aerin who had bothered her friend Nami. She felt a strange but not so happy thing when looking at those two, but wasn't sure what she felt.
Quickly she finished her meal and when she noticed Carnehilion had finished too, she asked: "Can I get you another bowl?"
Without waiting for the answer, Ellysa got up and took the bowls.

[Midge]

Magor moseyed around the camp while Aerin was out beating the blankets. He'd watched her receive the job from Haldis, and while he was slightly inclined to follow her, he'd mastered the impulse and decided to stay around camp and try to get to know his companions better. The first person he noticed was a pregnant elf. She was quite beginning to show and Magor couldn't help but wonder incredulously at how she came to be on this mission with the rest of the Company.

He watched as she walked around to another male elf, and he wondered whether they were married. They spoke for a while and then Magor watched the taller elf lean down and kiss the lady on the cheek. Yes, Magor decided, Married.

He waited till things wouldn't be awkward and walked over to the two elves.

"Hello," he said cordially, for some reason feeling not quite himself around these two and wondering why. He was very good at speaking normally to Aelf, and he found it easy to talk to Aerin. "My name is Magor, and I've not been properly introduced to you two."
______________________

Later, by the fire, Aerin sat and watched Ellysa as she looked acutely uncomfortable around everyone except the Rohan man who'd mostly sat around and watched with his eyes and listened with his ears and just been generally quiet. Looking at the group at large, she noticed that Ellysa and the man were sort of estranged from the rest of the group. She said loudly, "Ellysa? Would you and your silent friend join us? I do not know you very well and I've heard mostly nothing from the other, and I'd like to find out more about you."

[Willow Oran]

Haldis had seen her travelers safely into the camp of the Raft elves and then withdrawn to the edges of the camp to observe. It was odd, she reflected, that after having lived all her life on the edge of the elvenking's forest it was this journeying away from it that led her to encounter more elves than ever before. She hadn't realized before how very different they all were. The few who had stopped by her door in the past had been on business, and had all seemed very much alike in their hurried aloofness. The standoffish Avari were most familiar to her in that sense. Speaking of them, they were lurking nearby, still, but she had not seen them with the main group for sometime now. Presumably they would return when they wished.

Haldis heard a snuffling noise behind her and turned to find another oft unseen companion.

"Radagast back yet?" Truor asked, words more growled than spoken.

"No," Haldis said, "But stay in camp a while, you will find yourself stuck if you walk as a bear so much."

The man grumbled, but complied, staying human and sitting beside her, "It's easier traveling as a bear," he said, "Nobody bothers you."

"You will have to suffer botheration on the rafts," she said calmly, "We are riding with the elves up river, Radagast will meet us there."

"Hm." Truor snorted, "This wandering off I'd have expected from old Gandalf, not from Radagast."

"And how would you know?" Haldis scolded lightly, "Stop complaining and help me listen."

"For what?" Truor sighed gruffly.

"Information," instructed Haldis, "stories, how people speak. There are many different peoples here and much to hear. Two minds will be better than one at remembering."

Truor raised his hands in surrendur, "As you say, galdorwyf. May I eat while I listen?"

"If you must."

[Mari]

Ellysa looked up as her name was called. Oh, it was the female elf, Aerin. She turned slightly pinkish when she noticed other people had heard it too and were staring at her. Uncomfortable she looked at Carnehilion who got up to talk to his horse in obvious dismissal.
Slowly she walked towards Aerin and sat down, shyly staring at the ground in front of her feet.
"Hello."

[Midge]

After having heard her name called, Ellysa shyly and slowly walked over to where Aerin sat watching the other members of their group eating fish and roast vegetables.

"Hello," she said, looking at her feet. Aerin chuckled. That was just exactly how she'd acted with the Lady Galadriel after finally receiving the title of Messenger. The difference was that this girl had much less prestige in front of her now.

"I won't bite you, you know. I never did get to talk to you or get to know you better, even though you slept on my horse for hours after we got away from that mob. I'm sorry if I made you feel undignified.

"The silent Rohirrim did not come. Does he not enjoy other people? If he wants a friend who will leave him to himself and yet still be a friend, I think he would find us reassuring, don't you?" She looked at Carnehillion, not fully distrusting him and knowing that having true mistrust in this company would lead to bad ends. He was in the Company, and so he must have been trusted by someone, whether Gandalf or Radagast or just Haldis (she reasoned, depending on how long before her he had joined the Company), and that was enough for her, she realized.

[Mari]

"I don't know why Carnehilion did not come, but he is very nice and good with horses. He and Aelfwine are teaching me to ride." Ellysa beamed at the mention of her friends.
"Did I sleep on your horse?" Confused she went through her memories looking for the occasion and finally found a vague memory of riding on a horse to camp behind someone.
"Oh! So I did! Thank you for that." Embarrassed Ellysa looked at Aerin.

[Midge]

Aerin smiled. "You're welcome. I'd rather have you sleeping behind me than a good many others who might have needed to." She looked around. "You'd think that after a while, we'd all get tired of each other and everyone would be fighting. I'm impressed to see such a variety of people with so many different ideas and backgrounds getting on as well as we do."

She glanced at Ellysa. "Do you see that in our group?"

[Mari]

Aerin seemed to wonder about strange things. Was she maybe afraid something would happen?
"Well, we are all from different places, so we all have lots of stories to tell. And sometimes people only want to tell while they aren't ready to listen and then people can get hurt.
But everyone is very kind, with a good heart. So don't worry too much about it."
Encouragingly she smiled at Aerin. She hoped it looked encouragingly anyway.

[Varnafindë]

When they were sitting around the fire, Branwyn had some more questions about the library of Rivendell. Barufiniel answered his questions, and got rather absorbed in their conversation, until she realized that Aerin was watching her while talking to the others.

"Aerin, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm afraid I've let Branwyn monopolize me - I have an unfortunate tendency to forget everything else when I'm talking about books!"

She smiled and shook her head a little.

"I ought get to know the rest of the group," she said. "You told me that you never knew Gandalf well. Does that mean that there are more people in this group, other than only those who got his letters?"

[Midge]

As Ellysa smiled at her, Aerin opened her mouth to reply and was promptly interrupted by Baru, who had turned back to their conversation which had been borrowed by Branwyn. After apologizing for excluding her, Baru asked if more people in this group didn't know Gandalf.

"Firstly, Baru, you said you wanted to meet more of the group. This is Ellysa, another member of our little .." She paused at the irony, then continued: "...Company. I came to this group not knowing Gandalf well. Of course I knew of him, but my joining the Company came of a stroke of very good luck. Actually, I don't even know if Ellysa knew Gandalf or if she joined because of unforeseen circumstances."

She finished her small speech and sat back, convinced that whatever was said in return would be very interesting.

[Mari]

Timidly Ellysa smiled at this new elf, Baru?
As Aerin finished up, she wondered briefly who this Gandalf must have been to have known so many different people.

"I do not know Gandalf, nor have I gotten one of his letters. Unforeseen circumstances is what you could call my joining, I guess. I do not know for how much longer I will be with you all, but I hope it will be for quite another while!"

Ellysa was reluctant to talk about her visions especially to people who weren't her friends yet, friendly as they might be. If it were up to her, her visions would be ignored and forgotten!