Long Lost Leaves - part II

[Varnafindë]

Barufiniel was pleased that they were approaching the end of the raft journey. She had always enjoyed travelling on the rafts with her uncle - but this was the first time she had travelled for several days in this fashion, and, truth be told, she was beginning to long for having something more solid underneath her body again.

Watching the landscape around them had become a bit tedious. It was flat. Not a lot seemed to be growing - certainly no trees. She thought back three hundred years to the time when she had travelled across the plains of Rohan - those had been a bit similar, but they had even more grass, and there had been groves of trees scattered about. It had been a lot more interesting to watch.

And then her thoughts went even further back, to the land of her birth, which wasn't her home any more, now that she had reached the land of her ancestors. The land of her birth, "that other place", as she chose to call it - such a small land that just the journey on the rafts would have crossed the entire country. She still sometimes missed the talking animals, although by now she had stopped expecting speech from new animals that she met. Some birds here could speak, though, and she enjoyed speaking to them - and they had tried to teach her the birds' own language. She could understand it now, even though she couldn't speak it very well.

She looked around her at some of the other people she was beginning to get to know on this journey. Nami was sitting by herself - it was sad to see her mourning, but Barufiniel thought it was too early to try to cheer her up. Mourning needed to take its time - there was no point in rushing things.

Also, Barufiniel thought it was too early to speak to Nami about the water-logged Elven cape she had found swirling in a small pool formed by the river on their second evening after the battle. There was a pocket in it, with a water-flask which she seemed to remember Quickleaf having used. Some time later she would ask Nami whether she recognized the cape, and offer it to her as a memento - but not yet.

Across on one of the other rafts, two other Elves were also sitting by themselves. Abasi and Tabril. The only ones in the company she hadn't really spoken with yet. But she had been told that they didn't speak much at all, apart from with each other.

They were an enigma.

Barufiniel had noticed that they didn't withdraw just to be private, though - at the campsite in the evenings they kept to the outskirts of the camp to keep watch, or sometimes to hunt. Tabril would make sure that there was food for those who didn't hunt. She had never offered anything to Barufiniel, probably assuming that Barufiniel did her own hunting - which was a correct assumption.

Barufiniel had sensed a look of contempt the first time Tabril had seen her tend to her bow. Perhaps she didn't think much of the craftmanship? Or perhaps she didn't expect much skill? She hadn't made any comment, and Barufiniel hadn't asked. Frankly, she didn't know what to say to the other Elf. She sensed that small talk and ordinary chatter wouldn't be appreciated.

After the battle on the rafts, though, she felt that Tabril's attitude had changed a little. The contempt had disappeared, and there might actually be some hint of respect.

Suddenly the thought of Tabril made Barufiniel remember a different people she had met ... at that other place. The M'nak people lived in a small country south-west of Telmar. The Royal court of her own country had tried to establish trading relations with them - they were excellent weapon makers, and the court was hoping that they would be willing to sell. Barufiniel was seen as somewhat of a language expert, not least because of her ability to pick up a new language fast, so she was a part of the Royal delegation which met some of the M'nak people, and which in the end spent a fortnight in two of their chief villages.

That fortnight had been one of Barufiniel's strangest experiences. The M'nak people had a mindset very different from her own. They showed some of the same attitude which she thought she could recognize in Tabril - an air of superiority, not based on patriotism, but on a cool appreciation of their own strengths. They knew that they were the best weapon makers in the known world, they expected everyone else to acknowledge the fact, but they didn't boast of it. There was no need to boast. It was just a fact of life.

They weren't only good at making weapons, but at using them, too. Barufiniel found that the skills of the warriors of the M'nak people surpassed most of what she had seen elsewhere. Perhaps her father could match them in archery - but that would have been the only possibility.

She found it strange that they had so few warriors, though. In her own people, almost every male would have some training and skill as a warrior, in case he would be needed in a battle. Amongst the M'nak people, tasks were much more specialized. Only some select people were warriors - and those people were nothing else but warriors (and to some extent hunters, although there were specialized hunters as well).

Perhaps Tabril was a warrior in a people similar to the M'nak?

Female warriors were not uncommon among the M'nak. In fact, about the only time one of them would change their vocation, was in the rare cases when a female warrior wanted to start a family.

Barufiniel had seen a duel where one of the fighters was a young woman. They fought over the honor of two leaders - they were the champions of two different leaders who were contending for the leadership of a small village. One of the leaders - also a woman, in fact - was well established and had an experienced warrior as her champion. The other leader was only temptatively trying to see whether he could take over. His young champion was a lot more eager than himself, in fact. He didn't even attend the fight, unlike the other leader.

Barufiniel thought that the whole duel was a rather sad affair. The young woman didn't stand a chance against the other champion. Barufiniel tried to plead with the leader to stop the fight - but she could do no more than plead, it wouldn't be her place to try to interfere (and she wouldn't have stood a chance against the experienced warrior either). But the leader insisted that the fight be carried on to the end. She claimed that it was a matter of honor. Barufiniel didn't understand her concept of honor, all the more so when the other champion said that there was no honor in killing the young, inexperienced female warrior, it just was necessary.

Barufiniel could barely contain her anger when the woman finally was killed. She thought that it would take her years to understand the mindset of the M'nak people.

Could Tabril's people be anything like this?

The M'nak being mortals, Barufiniel could see the point of them specializing vocation-wise. But she couldn't see any reason why Elves would need to do the same - they had all the time in the world (literally) to learn different trades and try their hands at different vocations.

She thought it might be interesting to discuss this with Tabril - if Tabril was interested in discussions at all. She had no idea of how to broach the subject with her, though.

Nothing had in fact come of the trading negotiations with the M'nak people. They couldn't see any reason for making more weapons than what they needed for their own use. And they couldn't see any reason for obtaining other goods from outside their own community. They produced for themselves what they needed, and they weren't interested in things they didn't really need.

What a different view we have of trading, Barufiniel thought as the Raft-Elves finally made camp where they would be waiting for Radagast. We want to add other things to our lifestyles than just those that we can make for ourselves - our whole society is based on trade to give us what we need. I wonder what it would be like to return to a life which was completely self-sufficient. My father said that Gondolin, where he was born, was a little like that - there was no trade with the world outside of the city. But he said that he didn't really know much about it - he was only ten when the city fell and he became one of the surviving refugees.

She tended to her horse, looking forward to be able to ride again. Some people were preparing a meal, and she realised that it hadn't only been the horse who had been hungry. But there were other things to catch her attention before the meal was ready: Radagast had been spotted - and with unknown people riding right behind him.

[Mari]

Ellysa had heard the calls of the Elves. Quickly she changed her course to head for Radagast and his friends.
"Aleesa! I walk with you!" Tabril cried behind her. Ellysa slowed down a bit to let Tabril catch up with her.

"You want to greet Radagast as well? I thought you didn't like him. Come on! Let's go see who he's brought with him!" She made ready to speed up again, but Tabril stepped in front of her, looking slightly angry. "No. Stay."
She positioned herself in front of Ellysa, facing the way the riders were approaching, fully expecting Ellysa to obey.

Wow, Tabril can look pretty threatingly without obviously being a threat. Ellysa thought. Quite different from home, where warriors use blinking weapons and menacing colours and actively attempt to intimidate everyone. Odd. I think of her as a friend, but sometimes she scares me more than any random warrior from back home. Maybe it's because it's easy to predict what those warriors want from an accursed girl like me. Or because I don't understand how a woman can be a warrior? Maybe she's an outcast too.

Lost in thinking, she peeked around Tabril's figure and got a better look at the approaching people. Yes, it really was Radagast. With four others. She had never met them before, but... curious... I could have sworn I'd seen that man on the left before... but where?

"Tabril, can't we go a little bit closer? I want to have a better look. Please? We'll be fine. Radagast won't bring harm to his friends, I'm sure of it! Besides, I brought my bo and you have your weapons, so we'll be safe!"

[Aikanáro]

Ellysa wanted to speak to the seth'enati, Radagast, that much was clear from what she was saying. Yet Tabrîl still wasn't entirely convinced it was safe for her. If these riders did mean harm, however, it was Tabrîl's duty to protect Radagast from them, should he need her assistance, and so she didn't feel that it would be quite right for her to simply insist Ellysa return immediately to the campsite, either. Not when Tabrîl herself would need to escort her.

'You want...' she began slowly, unsure of the unfamiliar words, 'to cha'ilina- to offer greeting for the seth'enati? It is well.'

She took hold of Ellysa's arm with her left hand, not so tightly as to hurt her, but firmly enough that it was unlikely she could pull away easily. Tabrîl didn't want her doing anything unexpected, and didn't want harm to come to her. Although she couldn't have said why, she was almost growing fond of the girl.

'We go,' she said simply. 'We go for Radagast.' She began to take slow, deliberate steps towards Radagast and the other riders, knowing she was in plain sight, her other hand not quite resting on the hilt of her t'rai, but not far from it, either.

[Earniel]

The four easterlings held back, and halted their horses a distance away from the camp, clearly waiting until Radagast had a chance to talk to the adventurers before they came near. It was obvious that as the adventurers were weary of the easterlings, the easterlings were in turn weary to approach the adventurers uninvited.

But as the four waited in clear view of the adventurers, the latter could study them well enough. There were three men and one woman. The woman looked middle-aged, with a thin, wiry frame and a sharp face. Her hair was long and sand-coloured, edged with white at her temples; an unusual colour for easterlings.

The two other, younger men had every bit of a soldier-look about them; both were tall and heavy-built. Their full-body armour was made entirely out of leather and looked well-kept. They were armed with short curved swords and a sturdy spear each. They looked with unveiled suspicion onto the strange and diverse company that was camped upon the riverbank before them.

The third man was also clad in leather armour, but his was more richly attired with carving and metal decoration. His face was as inscrutable as his age. But he looked at the adventurers with some interest. His horse's gear was also elaboratedly decorated with silver while the woman's horse wore ribbons. The gear of the two other horses was plain.

Radagast did not stop when his four companions did, but rode on towards the camp, his horse now trotting leisurely and whineying happily as it caught the smell of the other horses he knew.

"Well met, Ellysa, Tabrîl," the wizard said as way of greeting when he descended from his horse before the two women.

[Aikanáro]

'Seth'enati,' Tabrîl said, and bowed her head for a moment in respect. 'It is good that you have returned to us,' she told him in Sindarin, her gaze flickering from Radagast stood before her to the four who waited some distance away.

Three were warriors, Tabrîl noted, one looking to have some degree of seniority. The other - the woman - if pressed, Tabrîl would have named her seth'en, one of the wise. She did not appear to carry weapons, and there was something about her that made Tabrîl think she had knowledge of some kind. But first impressions, Tabrîl knew well, could be misleading, especially where strange peoples were concerned, and so she was not about to rule anything out. Not yet.

'Seth'enati,' she addressed Radagast, 'may I ask of these people that follow after you?'

[Mari]

"Radagast! O-kaeri! Welcome back!" Ellysa simply smiled at Radagast in her usual bright manner before returning her attention to the man and let Tabril do the rest of the talking.

[Earniel]

"Thank you," Radagast said with a smile, "it's good to be back too."

"Oh, my four companions? They mean us no harm, in fact we will need their help to cross their people's territory. But I will explain all that and introduce them a little later. But first I want to hear how you have fared. The birds were very vague about your journey, and they could only tell me rumours of a fight in the East Bight and war on the river."

Together the three of them walked back into the camp, so that Radagast could greet and meet back with the rest of the adventurers.

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl let go of Ellysa's arm as the three of them walked back together. It was a disappointment to her that Radagast would not hear her questions, however gently his refusal was put, but Tabrîl knew better than to ask again. It was not befitting to be too curious, to ask what she should not.

He had mentioned crossing their territory, though, and this alone was enough to make Tabrîl wary. The further east they headed, the more likely it was that she would come across a people that held some ancient enmity against her own. Such things were kept in memory for longer than Tabrîl could guess at, and she knew that her people, the Kindi, had been far from a peaceful tribe.

These mortals, however, had an unfamiliar look about them, an outlandish style of dress, and Tabrîl knew them for absolute strangers, which she supposed was safer than the alternative, as far as the group she traveled with was concerned.

She said nothing else, then, as she walked back to camp, between Ellysa and Radagast, still watchful of their surroundings.

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine looked up from the arrows she and Carnehillion were making to see Tabril and Ellysa return, with Radagast. She stood as Carnehillion looked up.
"Glad to see you have returned, Radagast," she said with a smile. "What news of the path ahead?"

[feawen]

Nami nodded her head in Radagast's direction and then took a step back, lots of people would want to tell of past events and find out what was planned for the rest of the jounary. Keeping a watchful eye on the new travelers, Nami stepped over to Ellysa and Tabril, thinking they may know a bit of what was going now. Nodding in the four new travelers general direction, "More people for our growing group of adventures or do you think they are just passing friends?"

[Mari]

"Radagast said something about us having to travel through their lands. I'm not quite sure if he told us anything more about them though." Ellysa looked at Nami and a thought occurred to her. "Nami, that man on the left. Does he look familiar to you?"

[Varnafindë]

Barufiniel felt a little bit nervous about approaching the wizard. She didn't know him - she had only met him briefly, and she didn't know whether he would recognize her. She suddenly missed Gandalf ...

She didn't know whether he had got her message either, telling that she would try to meet them with the Raft-Elves. Perhaps he hadn't got it, and thought that she hadn't bothered to answer his letter - then it would look strange that she just turned up after all ...

She held back a little, waiting for the others to enjoy the reunion first.

[feawen]

Nami shock for head as she looked at the person in question. "No i do not think i know him."

[Mari]

"Oh, I see. Thanks Nami." Slightly disappointed Ellysa tried to figure out once more where to place the man, but when she didn't succeed she decided to focus on more important matters: dinner! She remembered her original quest.

Quickly she excused herself from the group of people, mumbling something about herbs and special occasions and she left once more in search of the herb, enticing a few bemused looks from the people who caught her excuse.

She did think not to go towards the strangers or get out of sight of the camp, so no one would have cause for worry.

[feawen]

Nami gave a baffled look at Ellysa's quickly residing back. Rolling her eyes she shrugged at Tabil, "I will go after her." A few quick steps and she was level with Ellysa. "What kind of big sister to you would i be if you keep running off on me? The last time i lost you i was wondering around in the dark for hours!" She laughed at her own misfortunes that day, the dark no longer having such a hold on her, then she remembered other events from that day and she grow sad again for a moment. Shaking the feeling off she spoke quickly, "Do you not want to know what Gandalf has to say?"

[Earniel]

After exchanging greetings, Radagast quickly learned of all that had befallen the adventurers in his absense: the bar fight in the East Bight (which made him frown), the meeting with the Raft-Elves and Barufiniel (to whom he nodded, indicating he indeed had received her message) and the battle with the river-raiders and the subsequent loss of Quickleaf and the two Raft-Elves (which grieved him very much).

Meanwhile the four Easterlings had made camp a little further off and had lit a small fire of their own. Their horses grazed nearby. They still looked with some curiosity to the adventurers, but sought no contact otherwise. There was a small incident when one of the soldiers caught sight of the Ents, but the man in the decorated armour managed to put his companions at ease with a few words.

"Now, I'm sure you are all very curious what I have been up to on my journey," Radagast said. "As I said I went to scout ahead. The lands we must pass through now to reach the Iron Hills are in the hands of a numerous Eastern people, split up in many but far-wandering tribes, related in some degrees to the Balchoth of the East as well as the Northmen of Rhovanion. They call themselves the Ultai. Their leader is called the Khagan, the High King, if you will. The Khans, the leaders of the seperate tribes, all answer to him and form his council, when he is inclined to take counsel, that is. The current situation of the land is somewhat against us, or with us... depending on your point of view.

The matter is this: this is a period for celebration for the Ultai, they're in a temporary truce with the other people more to the East, and in this period every single tribe of the Ultai has gathered for celebrations precisely between us and the Iron Hills. Going around would add many months to our journey, which I am loathe to do. Going through... that will require a great deal of diplomacy. Unfortunately, the Khagan is not considered a very amiable person. Luckily I do have a friend among the Ultai, Khan Geruth, to whom I rendered an important service, many years ago. Together we may have found a way to pass through the Ultai camp without trouble. But wait, I shall introduce him to you."

Radagast rose, and called something over to the Easterlings. The Easterling with the elaborate gear and the woman had obviously been waiting for his signal, for they rose immediately and walked over to the other camp. The two other men remained seated, but they kept a close watch on their companions nevertheless.

The man strode into the camp with evident self-confidence, and perhaps a little touch of arrogance that came with his high position. The woman followed after him, but her steps were just as sure.

"My friends, this is Khan Geruth, leader of the Southern Ultai Tribe. The woman is Teye, his advisor and Seer. I am honoured to number both among my friends," Radagast said.

The man gave a curt nod to the assembled group as way of greeting. The woman folded her arms across her chest and bowed.

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl left Nami to go after Ellysa alone, knowing that her presence there would most likely be unwanted. The two were close friends, or at least it appeared so to her.

She was unsure whether to stay and listen to Radagast, feeling that he might well say more than was right for her to hear - but she found no opportunity to excuse herself, and so Tabrîl stayed.

By the time Radagast had finished speaking, Tabrîl had gone pale. That foreign woman... Tabrîl had not realized quite how correct she had been with her instinct that she held knowledge of some kind.

The woman had the Sight. She was an in'kasha, so far as a mortal woman could be. Tabrîl averted her eyes, overcome with the sense that it was wrong for her to be here, with so little in the way of protection. Three warriors she had with her, and even if this Khan Geruth was what passed for a m'haidati among his people, it was not enough.

It occurred to her then that she had no idea of the protocol for dealing with a mortal in'kasha, and that thought concerned her. Even to turn and leave might offend, she did not know the ways of these Ultai at all.

Be careful, she told herself. Deal with her as with the in'kasha of another tribe, better too much caution than not enough.

Tabrîl stepped forward, and bowed low. 'My lady Teye of the Ultai,' she said, 'I am Tabrîl yen'Habti yon'Safwe, a warrior of the Kindi people.'

[Earniel]

If the Khan felt any disrespect at his Seer being addressed instead of him, he did not show it. There even was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Clearly it did not surprise him that his Seer's presence drew more attention than his own. But Khan Geruth was a man of the world, and he knew that the respect bestowed on his advisor was eventually also reflected on him, for she was his advisor, and not the other way around.

The woman turned to Tabrîl and repeated the gesture she had made before, her arms folded across her chest followed by a bow. It was evident this passed as a way of greeting among the Ultai.

"Greetings, Tabrîl yen'Habti yon'Safwe, Kindi-warrior of the Great Forest," Teye said with a slight accent. "I bid you welcome in the land of the Ultai."

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl straightened, and began to look slightly less apprehensive. She was already within the lands that belonged to this woman and her tribe, and she had been welcomed. If the customs of the Ultai were in any way alike to her own, this meant that their passage through Ultai territory would be safe.

'You honor me with your welcome, in'kasha,' she said, and it was only a second later that she realized her mistake, the woman would not know the Kindi term. She said nothing to remedy this, however, supposing her intent would be understood.

'We have traveled far,' she explained, 'and have further still to go, and not all are so gracious and welcoming as yourself. I shall speak of you with the highest praise to my people.'

If ever she returned to her people, Tabrîl thought, but that was an irrelevancy now.

[Mari]

Ellysa halted. Big... sister? She tilted her head to the right and looked at Nami with an odd look. "You'd want to be related to me?"