This Angmar place was not growing on me one bit. Covering me in dust, yes, and making me cough and sneeze like I really didn’t want to. I didn’t like it. Any of it. Oh, how I longed fer me own bed, be that in me Ma an Pa’s house in Glenwood, in me burrow near Michel Delving, or me new room at The Bent Elbow. A proper bed, with pillows and blankets and a fluffy down cover. Ah, that be the life.
But what I had was mile after mile of high grey rock face on one side, and graves on the other. There be pools right enough, all green an’ slimy, and a few rough looking trees that had seen much better days. We saw only a few of those dead folk. Well, they be dead, so it was odd ter see them at all. Three skeleton warrior types and a crawling arm, all heading much further inter the graveyard, away from the trail we were on. They scared me a bit, but not as much as if they been heading terwards us.
“I can’t rightly say if there be a battle here or not?” Tobold said as he removed his feathered hat and blew the ash and dirt off it. “I mean, there be bones lying about, and lots of disturbed dust, but were them moving bones a short while ago?”
“Them Elves killed them all again?” I suggested, remembering a bit about what Henepa told me them elves did ter the brigands in Yondershire. “At least there be no bodies ter bury this time.”
Placing his hat back on his head, the Bounder straightened it meaningfully. He was clinging on ter a semblance of order. “The hoof marks go away inter them rocks, but then come out again. It could be them took a wrong turning?”
I nodded. “Them may be Elves, but them can still make mistakes. I think yer right, Tolbold. Them ride ahead.”
We were agreed. So we rode on.
The ponies had been doing well, though we had ter ration our water a bit, and the grain. There be nothing in that land them could eat or drink safely. But thankfully them be wise beasts, and not try ter eat poison weeds.
Now we had seen some bodies of Barrow Hounds right enough, wicked looking wolves or wargs with teeth like needles and eyes that glowed red, like them be filled with blood. A couple had arrows protruding from em’. Others had obviously been killed by a spear or a sword. It did make life easier fer us two. We would have struggled ter overcome those wild things, and we knew it. I thought it be only a slight inconvenience fer them Elves, but quite possibly death fer us.
“Alas, there be no Tavern around here it seems,” Tolbold moved his head from side ter side ter work out a crick in his neck. “I wish I had more knowledge of what we look fer, Miss Lithea. There be no big signpost fer us.”
“Well we can only follow them Elves. Them have better understanding than us. Fer all we know them may be in some bright crystal castle…” I stopped and shook me head. “Crystal castles fer Elves, maybe, but who has our friends don’t deserve any such thing. More like one o’ these crumbling houses fer bones be their due?”
Tolbold halted, and pointed up ter what looked like a burning cliff.
“What be that? The rock isn't alight. There be a fire behind it?” I asked, words tumbling from me tongue in me haste.
Tolbold nodded. “There be trees or wood at least up there. A grove or something behind the cliff. It be dry right enough, but there been nothing ter set off a blaze, other than idle hands.”
“Or them Elves,” I felt a shiver go through me. Me dream of old was of a fire in an otherwise dark Cave. Was the big Elf in some place like that? And where were Henepa and Guy? “Whoever set it, it’s the first sign of anything since we arrived. We best investigate.”
We rode up the slope, the ponies becoming quite nervous, and ended on a small ridge, with a strange symbol carved in the rock face. It glowed and flickered for a moment, then disappeared.
“Well I never, that looks like something bad ter me.” I urged Honey forward but she tossed her head. “Look Honey, I be scared too, but it may be where our friends are. It may be sign them set, or a danger them be facing, but we have ter find out.” I patted her neck and praised her. She was a brave pony. And so she walked through that rock! Just like that, just like walking from one room t’other!
“Oh,” Tolbold gasped. “It be like a dream wall. Nothing really there.” He waved a hand before his face.
We rode through very cautiously, looking around us, ears straining fer sound. All we heard was the crackling of burning wood. It was growing’ hot as we made our way through a large group of dark trees, and past three dead men.
“I hope that be your demon Elf who did that, and not a real demon?” Tolbold muttered.
Then the blaze was before us. A tall, plain wooden house with one side engulfed in flames and them spreading swiftly. We both dismounted, letting our ponies back away. Them already been brave enough.
“Woe ter us, we be too late!” I cried in desperation. And then I saw movement. I had ter look twice, but there be someone waving an arm at us. Whatever them be saying was drowned out by the roar and crackle.
Then they be walking terwards us, a bit unsteady.
“Tolbold? Tolbold, that be you?”
The Bounder’s eyes got wide, and with a gasp he ran forward. “Henepa, you be safe? Where is Guy?”
I kept back a little, knowing what it meant ter Tolbold, and doubtless ter Henepa too, but also called over, “It’s me, Lithea. Is Guy still inside?” Henepa had not been inside the house, by the look of her. She was thin and drawn, and her eyes had dark circles around them, but there be no scorch marks or heavy smell of smoke on her.
Henepa be crying and telling herself off at the same time. She must have been surprised ter see us. She threw her arms round Tolbold’s neck, and them hugged each other. But then she stood straight.
“I be fine,” she said firmly, “but Guy must be inside, and the three Elf Hunters, them be in there searching fer him and their own folk.”
Tolbold looked back at me. His expression was grim. “Righty ho, Henepa, we have ter try and rescue them all. Lithea, we crawl in, keep under the smoke, keep yer cloak over yer nose and mouth. We be small, but maybe it be fer the good this time.”
Me heart was pounding, me arms and legs shakin’ like a birthday jelly, but if our friend be in there, I couldn’t turn away. If them Elves be in there, I knew it be me only way to solve me dream.
