The humdrum sounds of horse's hooves clip-clopping against the road and rolling cartwheels tended to make Hellrien sleepy. The oil lamp was swinging in short, jerking motions on the roof and cast sharp shadows in the dark walls of the closed wagon. Hellrien liked the rattling of cartwheels. It made her sink into sleep, and she had slept through every minute she could of the two days it had taken them to get from Buckland to Duillond. She had driven the wagon from Hobbiton through Rushock Bog into Needlehole, where they had switched turns with Burwod and Hellrien had fallen asleep again as soon as the cart had started moving.
In Combe they had decided it was too dangerous to carry Ranesora on a horseback all the way to the stronghold, because he was suffering from internal bleeding. But they couldn't stay there either. So they had - against Ranesora's loud protests - found a group of three woodcutters who had agreed to help them carry Ranesora to Bree on their rustic cart. In Bree they had paid the woodcutters some coins for their troubles. The woodcutters had shook their hands heartily and wished them both long life and lots of children - evidently mistaking Burwod and Hellrien for a married couple. In Bree Burwod had some business to attend to regarding the Brotherhood's retreat back to the stronghold, so he had given Hellrien the task to report to mayor Graeme Tenderlach. Hellrien had found the mayor in his office, showed her the Brotherhood insignia and briefly recounted what had happened in Archet. An efficient man, mayor Tenderlach had immediately summoned the overseer of the guard, Lily Appledore, and authorized her to recruit more watchers and guards to handle matters and raise security in Combe and Archet. He had also sent a messenger to contact Chief Watcher Grimbriar as soon as possible. Hellrien had mentioned nothing about the artefacts, Dorvairse's disappearance or anything that seemed exclusive Brotherhood business and wasn't important for the mayor to know. She related only the facts of what had taken place in Archet - that three members of the Sworn Brotherhood had been attacked by a large group of unknown assailants near Bronwe's Folly.
The mayor of Bree had then arranged a proper wagon for them to carry Ranesora into Ered Luin with.
Hellrien and Burwod took turns in the drover's seat, one driving the cart while the other sat inside the wagon to help Ranesora and take care of his needs. But Ranesora didn't want any help and so far it looked like he was going to pull through just fine, so whenever it was Hellrien's turn to watch Ranesora she would stretch herself on the wagon floor, feet against the floor, and sleep - for hours and hours. She seemed to absorb sleep and rest into her like a sponge, and gained new strength. She had a lot of strenuous days behind her, and her bulky body required lots of rest.
Burwod woke her up in Duillond. The horses pulled the wagon to the Garden. Even now, when the sun had already come down, it was clear why the town was called ”River Haven” in Sindarin. They ate something small and drank cups of mulled elven wine the elves offered them and slept inside the wagon. Next morning Hellrien sat on the drover's seat and the journey continued towards Gondamon.
It took them twelve hours to get there. When their wagon was finally starting to approach Thorin's Gate the next day they had traveled through Bree-land, Shire and Ered Luin in five days.
She was sitting on the foretop as the cart wheeled towards Thorin's Gate. It was dusk and the sun was shimmering through evergreen oaks standing in line on the ridges and slopes of the mighty Blue Mountains. Down in a valley a river flowed between enormous boulders. A handsome rainbow hung over a rapid, wet shrubs were glittering in the sun on it's shores. On the other side opened a valley. The river turned east and disappeared from view. Hellrien braked forcefully as the cart rolled downhill. Brake shoes howled heating up. Small animals fled in panic from their way. Hellrien glanced at the rocky terrain surrounding them. In front of them arose Thorin's Gate's massive walls.
The wagon slowed down in a glen and wheeled through the gates. It rolled to the courtyard, turned to left from the big statue and finally pulled into a halt in front of the stables.
Hellrien jumped off the foretop before it had even stopped entirely. There was still a lot of work to do to transport Ranesora into the stronghold's sick bay before Burwod finally gave her a permission to leave. Hellrien returned to Thorin's Hall, entered Thorin's Hall Inn from the little door in Frerin's Court, found her permanent room and threw herself on the bed, fully clothed.
Hellrien's first mission outside the stronghold was completed.
