Still sitting by the river in my undergown, watching the water drift by as the stars wheel above me, I am feeling quite content as I pen these words in my journal, despite all the fear and doubt that surrounds us. Perhaps it is as the Child once said of both Xandilif and myself, that we thrive in chaos and are always happiest in the heart of the fire. Of course, being young he does not realize that the heart of the fire is also the warmest place to be, oft' times.
I fear I have been remiss in my entries of late, so I will simply start with the events of the day and we shall go forth from there.
I entered the Pony this morning to behold the Lady Arahen standing protectively with her hand resting on her sword beside poor Ingfled, my young sister. It took but a moment to see the reason for her martial stance, as standing before the fire facing them was my Southron nemesis. He clearly had ceased his attempt to hide himself in the garb of a Breelander and now stood revealed in a chain hauberk and the arms of a mercenary from the east. I entered as the churl was speaking rudely to my Lady Arahen and stepped before her, commenteing that I hoped today would be the day we had set aside to clash, for I would take his head and mount it on the wall of the Pony. Faced with both myself and a princess of the Noldor the Southron made a wise retreat, and the Lady bade me not to pursue. She was right...too easily could such a foe lead me into a trap, taking advantage of my ire and thirst for his blood.
The Lady Arahen then explained to me, after I had made certain that neither she nor Ingfled has been harmed.that when she had arrived seeking me, she came upon the Southron hissing to Ingfled in low tones, his hand upon her shoulders. Naturally the brave Lady of Orodreth immediately came to the meek girl's defense, which is the scene that I walked into. Looking at Ingfled's wide, staring eyes I was reminded of so many women I had seen throughout Gondor and Rohan, who having been faced with a horror they had never expected to behold looked at the world with such eyes, and my heart again went out to my adopted sister. I took her in my arms and whispered my love and comfort to her, and she began to relax but I fear she had suffered quite a fright and would have taken me long to calm her, without the arrival of a timely new companion.
A brave Son of the Mountains came into the Pony and with a cry of glad surprise hailed my Lady Arahen in a thick accent born of the Iron Hills with such casual demeanor, after the recent confrontation it was all I could do not to put an arrow in his eye for his temerity. Fortunetly the Lady soon hailed him with as much gladness and introduced me as her beloved squire to this old comrade of hers, who she introduced to me as Kalvur. The noble dwarf and I made appropriate pledges of service to one another and I noticed that he had caught the stunned interest of Ingfled. It would seem my young sister had even less experience with the Children of Aule then she does my kind. In due time we were all seated, speaking of many matters with Ingfled's participation including her troubles for which the Dwarf was most sympathetic. I was able to give the Dwarf some cautions should he face warriors of Harad in the future for which he was most grateful and remarked that it seemed I would be a most sturdy defender of the Lady Arahen. I simply nodded, but I felt my soul light up as I saw my Lady looking upon me with pride under the praise of her comrade.
Before he departed, noble Kalvur explained that he had journeyed to Bree out of concern for a sister that he declared a great handful and feared he would need help in keeping on the proper path of her folk. The Lady Arahen and I of course both pledged any aid we could offer in this endeavor, especially as I understand well the burdens our siblings can place upon us, and then as the Lady Arahen went to her bower for rest from the days strains, he departed with Ingfled still watching him in amazement.
However her distraction was not to last, as I discovered that during our conversation her parents had arrived, and were continuing the loving clashes by which they sought to attempt to forget the grief that had struck them. I was pleased to be able to greet them both again, and upon seeing me, and admitting that he was pleased for my protection of his daughter, her Sire told us a startling fact. It seemed the the night previous thieves had struck their farmstead and burned a small amount of their crop. While what few men were available fought the flames, the thieves broke into their farmhouse and removed two objects that the brave yeoman styled heirlooms of his family. The one was a jeweled mace whose province he knew not, and the second was a silver and ruby necklace which he believed had been crafted in Anorien.
After I expressed amazement that such items would be in the storehouse of their humble Bree family, he first attempted to say that he never thought they were of great worth, and then refused to tell me whatever he may know of the history of his line, simply stating that that was a tale for another day. With Ingfled and her Dame present I did not wish to press him further, but I had a rising feeling of disquiet. There were secrets clearly in Ingfled's past that she did not know of...first her father's Watcher heritage, now mysterious heirlooms which clearly the brigands knew of, and wished to take for reasons unknown. Could her father know things of vital importance and by his silence place his daughter and indeed all of Bree at risk? As Ingfled retired for the night to a safe bed in the Pony, I was filled anew with the sense that we were involved in matters whose true import lay far from the sleepy land of Bree and resolved to expand my efforts to combat this refection of shadow before it was too late.
As if as another sign of Elbereth's favor, at that moment a cheery voice hailed me with great eagerness and I turned to behold the young Horsemistress, Cyndwin of Rohan who my Fille and I had recently become acquainted with. She greeted me with such shy tenderness that at first I was somewhat wary, remembering my earlier caution. Could this fair newcomer be an agent of our enemy, sent to confound or beguile us? For truly, if myself and dear Fille could select a young companion perfectly suited to share our confidences and counsels, it would be Cyndwin of Rohan.
As I caressed the girl and spoke to her, her maidenly blushes were all the more charming as she expressed hopefully a desire to go with me and leave the stuffy confines of the Pony. We retreated outside into the sun on a nearby bench, which was a fine choice as soon my Fille joined us from her labors at the forge. As the two maidens shared a happy reunion under my watchful eye I realized I had a choice to make. I needed to share the days news with Fille as the danger was increasing and she in her wisdom would have much to say concerning the relics of Ingfled's line...however to do so in front of a person I did not trust would be foolhardy, threatening the safety of others. As I paused in reluctance, it was clear that the maiden of Rohan had realized my dilemma and nobly offered to recuse herself from our councils but there was such despair in her eyes that it brought a pain to my heart. Looking at the flaxen haired beauty, so fresh and pure and eager for our companionship, I cast my lot with her, and began to inform the two of them all that had transpired of late with no restraint. As she realized the trust she was being shown, the Horsemistress looked at both Fille and myself with the thankfulness of a full heart as she listened.
Fille of course was already deep in my councils, for if she so chose she could mint my very soul into gold, so well do I love and trust her. For Cynwind, much of this was new and as I watched her respond to the sad tale of Ingfled and the threat I feared we all now faced, her courage and nobility showed through like a pennant in a warm breeze, and I could easily see her cloaked in rich furs, high upon a throne in her Mead Hall before riding forth with her noble horsemen to wage war against shadow. Seeing the fervor in her eyes I could not help but call "Forth Eorlingus!" which caused her to blush and stammer, her eyes warm upon me.
So earnest was Cyndwin to be of aid in our endeavors, so adamant was Fille to protect all she loved in Bree and so concerned were both women of my safety in the coming struggle that I knew at once that we three, combined with our mighty allies such as the Lady Arahen, were a force that could not easily be overcome. I then and there pronounced us the Sisterhood of the Pony and we pledged our blood and bond to one another and the protection of those we love in Bree.
However, for all the harsh alarums that now united Imladris, Gondor and Rohan in our sisterhood, both Fille and Cynwind are still fair flowers but recently come to bloom and therefore prone still to crave the beauty of the world around them and their place in it. Therefore we happily repaired from the Pony to my river to bathe, as a Sisterhood should do, laughing through the streets of Bree like schoolgirls truant from our lessons.
Upon arrival Fille opted to sit on the bank and fish as we spoke, needing to return to her labors soon, but the Horsemistress happily stripped down with me and splashed in the river like a little girl, her radiantly sunkissed complexion a marked counterpoint to my own at times deathly pallor.
Soon the two of us lay in the grass together to dry as Fille caught her dinner, much to our amazement and amusement, and reluctantly we parted for a time as both maidens withdrew to their labors.
Now, having restored my undergown to battle the chill of night, I smile again to consider our new alliance and the important role we may play as well as the outcome of ours oaths today that still lay far in the future. The Sisterhood of the Pony indeed...let the agents of darkness and scions of Harad quail before us.
