And our evening continued, with us standing before the main Hall, and the figure of Tintalle. It was cool but not cold, that we had no wish for thicker cloaks, or to light a fire. We stood and conversed as the hours passed us by.
“Luxuries are sometimes overrated,” I mused aloud. “Little can compare with the sky and the stars. Oh…tea though? We should have some.”
“I will admit that at times when I am a guest in Lord Elrond’s house, I will allow certain comforts,” Belegos confessed.
The observant Filigil nodded, as if silently saying ‘See, we all like a bed and warmth in the cold, and wine at times’, and she was right. But she said, “Tea, what sort would you like, Belegos? I shall go and make it.”
“Any that you feel fits the occasion.” I knew she had a large selection in jars in the kitchen, so we could be served almost anything.
We all glanced up at the stars again. The night was dark, the western sky like black ink washed over a faded thin undercoat. There was not even the faintest tinge of rose in the East. Parnard appeared almost at ease, the new company and course of converse seemed to take his mind off his problem, somewhat. It was a relief for us all.
Estarfin was studying him, and said, “Do you think enough wine may help us through this night?”
“It probably would!” Parnard’s eyes lit up at the thought. “Tea is fine, but enough wine helps everything.”
Filignil bobbed her head to us all, then hurried back to the house to make tea, an amused look on her face.
“But we have only sixty-nine bottles left by my last count, and you said we cannot afford any more,” Parnard said to me.
“We cannot buy more just yet, Cousin. We stocked up on wine last autumn," I reminded him, “and have drunk less than half. “We should have enough for a few months, and it is to be hoped this matter is sorted well before then. Soon we will start taking commissions again, as there are the defences to finish off and the Star Tower to build. We will have to watch our wine consumption somewhat.”
“Too bad,” he sighed. “It was a very excellent suggestion.”
But Estarfin was not about to give up easily. “We should still try it, should we not? The mind is changed, fogged by wine. Perhaps she would become lost in such a place?”
“How true!” said Parnard. “Once I got lost in the Hall of Fire when I could not find the door.”
“Estarfin may well be right,” I realised. Cost aside, the idea had merit. “We could try it for a couple of nights, but it is an aid, not a cure.”
“Have you spoken with her, Parnard?” Belegos asked, and shifted his quiver from one shoulder to the other, adjusting his balance.
“I have had the misfortune of talking with her, but since I escaped, no.”
“And she has not alluded to you at all as to why she torments you?”
As Parnard mulled it over, I noticed Filignil sneaking up behind Belegos, holding a tray with several elegant china cups on it thats contents were steaming hot.
“Your tea, Belegos,” she trumpeted.
To his credit, despite being surprised, the Elf of Gondolin hardly flinched, and took the cup with a gracious bow. She had brought lemon and Mallorn leaf tea. The leaves had been gathered some time ago.
I nodded at Parnard to continue. “She does not speak. I hear her laughter,” he said, his wine momentarily forgotten, “unpleasant, unceasing laughter, a chorus of jingling silver bells, evil bells, full of malice. Do you know what I mean?”
“I am sorry to say that I do not,” Belegos said, and took a sip of tea.
“Oh,” Parnard lowered his voice to a whisper. “I know she watches me, I can sense her presence. She had a dwarf, but she is alone in my dreams - you saw the dwarf, Estarfin.”
Estarfin nodded and sniffed his teacup. “Mallorn leaves,” he confirmed, and set the cup aside.
“The dwarf, Duzir, was unpleasant and avaricious,” I said, picturing him in my mind. A leering, beady eyed, bushy browed gargoyle. I would be glad when I was no longer in his ‘debt’.
“He is her pet, and stole my armour, rings, and pendant!” The robbery was a very sore point for Parnard, I had come to realize, and I suspected this was the cause of his lingering melancholy.
“In a hole,” Estarfin said abruptly, looking almost as disgruntled. “I saw him as I looked up from a hole in the ground.”
Belegos turned to Filignil and said, “This tea is delightful. Thank you, my lady.”
She smiled and nodded. “I always find it restores my sense of calm.”
Then Parnard explained to Belegos how Estarfin fell into a hole, and could not get out, though he was only recollecting what we had told him, having not yet been rescued by us at that time.
Belegos smiled at Estarfin. “Alas that I was not there to haul you out,”
“The floorboards were rotten, and I followed Danel as she ran over them,” he said with a shrug.
“You should have climbed on my brother's shoulders to get out,” Parnard told him.
Belegos seemed confused by that, so I explained, “Parnard’s brother, Captain Culufinnel, was also in the hole, the ruins of a cellar, though he arrived there by a different route. I alone faced the Dwarf, and another of the Sorceress’ servants, believing Estarfin to be at my side. Only he was not.” I thought I may as well add my side of the story. I smiled over at Estarfin. “Meldanya, you do not usually disappear.” He did not look pleased.
Belegos laughed again, and turning to Filignil said that it was a story he would like to hear about in greater detail.
“What was he doing there? Why was he lurking around in the ruins of Tharbad? He strikes me as a cowardly sort of creature. No doubt he was spying on you!” Parnard huffed.
“The Dwarf is her servant, so it is possible. But I believe that he acts of his own accord when he can. I think he was watching for what he could gain.” I paused for a moment, considering the value of our items he likely held. “He had Parnard’s armour I suspected, though not with him. He had some of his jewelry. And he had my betrothal ring!”
Estarfin’s face darkened. I was about to say more of all the work he had put into the forging of my ring, but stopped. He need not be reminded.
“The dwarf sounds like quite a collector,” said Belegos.
“It was fine armour,” Estarfin told him. “Unlike the ring, it is still lost to us.”
“Did you make it?” Belegos asked .
Estarfin nodded. “It was a gift.”
“Then I have no doubt as to its quality.”
“It shall not be seen again,” Parnard lamented, and consoled himself by draining his cup and refilling his glass from another bottle. He seemed intent on drowning his mind in wine, and erasing his memory, as Estarfin had suggested.
I wished to redeem the converse to something more hopeful, so I said, “But two matters come to mind. The Dwarf required a pledge of three mithril bars before he would return my ring.”
Parnard choked on his wine. “Three bars of mithril?” he spluttered.
“He will want payment, so he, or another, must come to collect them.”
Belegos looked dismayed, and I saw Estarfin make a slight nod. I knew he would be furious at paying any price to redeem that which he had worked so long on, but he understood now was not the time for anger.
“Did he pledge to return my armour in return for the mithril?”
“No, Cousin.” The disappointment on Parnard’s face was immediate. There was no kind way of telling the truth. “I only got the ring back because he carried it with him.”
Belegos’s eyes hardened with anger, his lips tightened into a grim line. “For what purpose did he take your things?”
“He took them because he could and he wanted them,” Parnard responded, his voice thin with anger. “The moment his little black eyes saw me, my blood ran cold. And there was a man with him, a tall, sinister man who wielded a long, curved blade of a strange make utterly unknown to me, but I have since learned it is a common sword of the Easterling invaders. He was plump full of impudent jests, and the dwarf was very strong, uncommonly so, and it was not a real fight at all, because I was weaponless, and outnumbered, and it would have turned out different, if I had known he was going to lay hands on me, but I was at a disadvantage and not at my full strength, and once he got a hold of me, he just kept grappling, and was so short that I could not reach him. And that accursed dust in Angmar, how it burned my throat and eyes. He got lucky!” Then he lowered his gaze. “I suppose I was in their power then, Belegos.”
The words did little to assuage the scout’s dark mood. “Then we shall find this dwarf and take back what was stolen. I have little love for Dwarves save a very few I call friends.”
“He is not one of the Longbeards we are accustomed to, my friend. He is a Black-Dwarf from the far south, and unusual even for them, I warrant. He is cruel, cold and calculating. But he is very greedy. That is his weakness.” I tried to give a warning. “He also has some odd arts at his disposal. By the time we arrived at that house we were weakened from long travel, and not a little poison I suspect. This Zairaphel is cunning in ways that swords and bows cannot prevent. She watches over her pet Dwarf with care, as he watches over her. She tied me to a bed and drew much of my blood, probably for some concoction."
Parnard leaned in, studying my face with a worried expression. “Are you alright now?”
“Yes, Cousin. It took a few weeks, but I am well again.”
Estarfin scowled, then almost kicked over his wineglass with his foot. He picked it up and drank from it.
“I have missed many adventures it seems,” Belegos seemed to remember the cup of tea in his own hand, and swiftly drank it.
“If you had been there you would have shot her through the throat,” Parnard stated plainly.
Belegos shrugged and answered, “I would certainly have tried.”
But I had another matter I would speak of before the night turned to dawn. “Estarfin, where is the ruby ring I made you? The one with our Prince’s stone in it?”
Distracted from his grim thoughts, Estarfin looked up and nodded.
“Good. Curumaito used it to aid in the healing of my grandmother, when she was nigh death. It has much power in it, mostly for healing, but also for harm at great need. I am thinking it may help Parnard.”
“A midsummer gift you gave me that I treasure. Should I fetch it?”
“When Curumaito arrives, please. We can use all the help we can muster.”
He inclined his head. “As you wish.”
I turned to Belegos and said, “We have missed you, my friend. But we understand you are oft occupied in keeping our lands safe. So we applaud you, and thank you for any time you can offer us.”
“I have offered little, save a listening ear,” he replied quietly.
“Nay, you encourage us and lift our spirits.”
He smiled. “I will always give aid where I can. And now, though it is wonderful to see you all, I grow tired and would bathe before I rest. If I may use your accommodation?”
“Of course,” I nodded, and pointed to the Hall behind us. “There are empty rooms upstairs. Help yourself.”
“Breakfast will be set out in the small hall for you,” Filignil told Belegos.
He bowed in thanks to her, then to us all. “I shall see everyone later in the morning, and we shall solve this curse upon Parnard.” Then he took a step towards me. “It is always good to see your face, Danel. You lighten my path.” He gave me a friendly hug, then turned to clasp Estarfin’s forearm. “And good to see you also, my brother-in-arms. Would that we could fight side by side again in the future. I miss you both.” He shook Parnard’s hand. “Good night - and be safe.” Then he grinned and hugged him too. “I miss all three of you.”
“Do not worry! I shall be fine, Belegos, since I am following Estarfin’s most excellent plan,” the Wood-Elf responded brightly, and picking up a full bottle of wine, gulped it down as if it were water.
Belegos smiled, shook his head, then turned to the house.
“It is good that Belegos is with us. He may not have the answer, but I am happier to have another wise head here,” I observed.
“I shall go fetch a few more bottles of wine to grease the wheels of Estarfin’s plan,” Filignil added as she picked up the empty bottles scattered around Parnard’s feet, “but then I also need rest. I fear we will all have some busy days ahead.” She headed back to the Hall.
“I am not afraid of any Black-Dwarf!” Parnard called out after her, waving an almost empty bottle at the sky. His lips were stained purple.
Estarfin raised his glass. “I will drink to that.”
