I will say that this period of leisure as we await Fille's return has meant that I can spend a great deal of time with my journal, as well as with those dear ones I can seldom speak with when attention to duties and tasks draw me far from the simple confines of Breetown.
Today my sister's calls were far more strident, like a slow boiling cauldron in the silence of my mind. For her entreaties to be so loud and brusque, it means clearly that she is close at hand, so my worst fears seem to be a reality...the Banshee is indeed returning to Bree to seek me, which means the news she bears must be dire indeed. This simply means I have even less desire to pay heed to the Banshee's calls right now, at least not until Fille is safely back in the arms of myself and Cyndwin.
To avoid her sharp demands and to clear my beleaguered mind I made my way into the Pony though it is a strange place to seek peace, and came upon an interesting scene. At the bar were my Hawke and Audea the Songstress who does not care for me and a Son of Numenor in robes I had not seen previously. I was about to hail them when I noticed Feorhwen the solemn one and her watchman at the fire, conversing in the urgent, earnest manner of new infatuation. Their disdain towards me caused me to pause and still my tongue so as not to draw their ire, but I soon saw that, again in the way of new lovers, they had no notice to spare for anyone else and I had gone undetected by them. This was a relief for under my mood at that moment, if the watchman had attempted to forestall or disarm me again as he had done previously, it would have gone much more badly for him then simply tripping into the hearth.
Making my way to the bar and greeting my friends, I was soon informed that Audea the Songstress did indeed care for me, in her way, but was simply intimidated...which struck me as amusing. I was also informed that the man I did not know was called Friend Thad and was a scholar of some kind, but at that moment was drunk on some form of local brew, through he claimed he was not. I did not believe him and apparently neither did my urchin, for he kept trying to tend him most kindly.
Soon after my arrival Ynna of the Missing String strode into the Pony in a far better mood then when I put her to bed the previous night. In fact it warmed my heart to listen to her coming to peace with the solemn one and the watchman quite unbidden...so much so that it even confused Feorhwen. When last I had seen the harpist she had been overwhelmed with bitterness and self-pity but now was sunshine made flesh. Slowly the reason dawned on me as I caught a strange scent lingering on her person, and she was enquiring of Feorhwen if she could bring another along to Rohan, a person called Nora...and so it all came clear to me. It is amazing to me the intensely positive effects upon mood and manner that new love and recent sexual release can engender upon the late born.
After the solemn one went off with the watchman (which still seemed to frustrate poor Ynna), she joined our little group at the bar. I soon introduced her to Hawke who she had met before, and Audea the Easily Intimidated, and Friend Thad the Probably Poisoned, for he was rapidly succumbing to the effect of the drink. So much so he could not even accurately relate to me the focus of his scholarly pursuits, simply babbling about geography and something to do with plants. I began to fear that he would soon perish though both my Urchin and the Songstress assured me that he would survive whatever toxin he had imbibed.
I fear I humiliated myself to some degree during the conversation as Xandilif was giving me no peace, and according to Hawke I made several statements audible to all that I thought were merely cast into the ether to Lif, which caused all assembled to look at me in odd fashion. In fact I may have said that if she did not leave me in peace I would shoot an arrow into her eye and use it as a handle to beat her head against the wall until she left me be...or words to that effect. Truly I must have stern words with my sister...but that is neither here nor there.
After a time as I tried to remain silent, Hawke helped the addled and possibly dying scholar off to his chambers, which gave me a chance to speak in earnest with dear Audea, and I immediately questioned her as to the situation between herself and my Urchin. Of course she turned several odd shades and suddenly became deeply intrigued by the toes of her boots...but I knew I had to take that opportunity to tell her my mind. I urged her to take what she wished, for I knew it was what he wished too, and throw caution and timidity aside in her pursuit of my Urchin's heart and bed.
I assured her as well that he needed her care and support now more than ever, and that she and I, as two who loved him despite his stubbornness, would make common cause like sisters in his defense. This seemed to give her some comfort and she wept most sweetly in my arms. Hawke had returned in our conversation soon after I had dried dear Audea's tears, and faced with emotion, immediately fled into the street as is his wont. I sent Audea after him to strike while the iron and her passion were both hot, and felt I had done well in my counsels unto her, both for her own sake as well as for Hawke's who I hold so dear to my heart.
As dear Ynna had fled at some point in my conversation with Audea, I found myself alone and withdrew deeper into the Pony, considering if I would seek out Cyndwin in our chambers as the scent of recent passion and talk of love had made me miss her intensely when I heard the door open roughly behind me. I turned blithely, assuming that Audea or Hawke or both had fled into the Pony in typical emotional distress and I was preparing myself to either console or kiss them....
...and found myself staring into the cold, slate gray eyes of Xandilif the Banshee, my now deeply annoyed sister.
I knew it was going to be a long night..but that I will relate after I have rested.
