A heavy warhorse roared through Bree, sending marketgoers and pedestrians scattering in all directions, the heavily armored elf in the saddle seemingly heedless of their plight. She rode at breakneck speed past the Prancing Pony where a trio of women stood conversing near the fountain, but suddenly pulled the warhorse up short.
Wheeling the warhorse deftly about, the elleth shouted from the saddle at the trio “SHIELDSTRUMPET!! Is that you??”
Gretal Greenbrier, her chestnut locks gleaming in the evening light, turned around, staring at the elleth as she dropped from the saddle and began striding towards the trio. "What the hell? What did she say to you? Trumpet?"
Fillegedhiel of Gondor stared, her eyes widening as she turned to the elleth. "Lif?"
Cyndwin of the Westfold, the third of the trio, recognized the voice at once of course, and half laughed, half cringed as the Champion suddenly stood glaring at her. “Ummm…hello Xandilif…” and tried to smile.
Xandilif the Banshee was having none of it however, jabbing one gauntleted finger into the Shieldmaiden’s chest. “Is this where you have been hiding??? I figured you would be sitting pretty in Belfalas eating grapes and bossing around the damned servants while my sister was off earning your keep.”
Cyndwin laughed...stammered...grinned and tried to catch her balance "You think she earns MY keep, Xandilif? I'm the one sweating in the sun!"
The Champion scoffed and poked the Shieldmaiden again, knocking her slightly to the side, and the Banshee’s eye fell upon the dark haired Fille. She smirked. “Well, well, well....so the Monk spoke true...the Dwarves untied you and turned you lose, little runaway. So where did they brand you, hmm. You shown your little girlfriends yet or is it “naughty”?'
Fillegedhiel frowned, "Brand me? Tis absurd what you speak of Lif."
However, the Champion was already staring at Gretal, the only one of the trio she hadn’t met, and looking her up and down. “By Elbereth's unmentionables...ANOTHER one? She stinks of Rian right enough, what have you been doing girlie, bathing in her? I swear I cannot leave her alone for 10 minutes without her taking in another stray...'
Gretal 's mouth opened, at first nothing came out, then, "Maybe?"
Having only met Gretal a few moments earlier herself, with a strained laugh Fillegedhiel said "Lif... don't scare the poor girl. Unlike us, she isn't used to your... uplifting personality.”
Cyndwin stepped in, moving between the Champion and the Breelander. '"This..this is Gretal, and this...this reprobate of the Firstborn is Xandilif, Rian's sister"'
Gretal mumbled ''well met'' quietly.
Xandilif looked back at the bedraggled Fille, ignoring Cyndwin’s introduction and Gretal’s greeting both..."Gondorian, you look like Troll Shite, what did Durin's brats do to you, make you carry the damn mountain?” Suddenly Xandilif seemed to sober a bit after saying “Gondorian”...looking down for a moment
Fillegedhiel sort of grinned, "You could say that..." she tried to laugh. "They most certainly made me earn my keep..." she trailed off seeing Lif’s odd change.
The Champion looked her in the eye, her grey eyes seeming almost…reluctant. “We need to talk, forgewench....”
Fillegedhiel cleared her throat, "Y-you can speak here in front of my sisters Lif." She paced on the spot as Cyndwin looks back and forth, curious at the change of tone.
The Banshee seemed to be debating something solemnly, then her usual manner took hold again. “Unless you three are looking for clients with no discernment and less gold, let’s get off the fecking street.”
The Gondorian looked around, "Where to?" The elleth’s almost reasonable behavior confusing and frightening her. When last the two met she had been anything but reasonable, in fact she had left the woman terrified in her wake.
“W-we could go back inside?” offered Gretal reluctantly.
Xandilif scoffed. "The Pony? Why, do I look like I need weak ale, bad food or fresh syphillis?”
Gretal burst out laughing and quickly stifled it.
Cyndwin snickered as well, but suggested "Out into the country then?"
The Banshee looked at the three solemnly, then said “No..Rian's library. That way she'll know where to find you when I am done with you.”
Fillegedhiel huffed, "As you wish..." but the Champion was already striding away, leaving the three to stare after her still a bit stunned.
Gretal said finally, “Oh are we going? Not going?” Fillegedhiel nudged Cyndwin but neither moved.
From around the bend Xandilif’s voice barked back at them. “Move your taut little asses! You too Shieldstrumpet!.”
Taking her companions hands, Cyndwin called “Coming, coming...” as she laughed and pursued the Champion, finally reuniting with her inside the grand hall that the friends referred to as the Library.
Xandlilif was pacing, awaiting them, SilverWand resting against one of the plush chairs. “I swear, this place smells like a wizard pissed in it.” She broke open a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of ceremonial wine...pulling the cork out with her teeth and taking a long swig
Fillegedhiel followed Lif closely with her eyes. Her palms began to sweat as she began to fear the worst as Gretal stared, the Breelander finally breaking the silence. “What kind of show is this?”
The Champion smirked, “Why, are you going to dance farmgirl?” Gretal turned red and her brow furrowed, but she fell silent.
Finally ready to begin after draining the wine bottle, Xandilif stared at Fille. “So..Gondorian...you know about Thorongil or you wouldn’t be here, hmmm?”
Fillegedhiel nodded reluctantly, "I know some... only what Xan had repeated to me. I know of what you did... I-I cannot believe it. I do not know how to repay you Lif... I'm sure it wasn't in my favor... but still, I am obliged.”
Gretal looked at Cynd to see if she showed some idea of what was going on. Cyndwin however was watching the conversation curiously, concern showing on her face but no recognition
Xandilif pulled another bottle out and uncorked it, apparently uncomfortable with Fille’s thanks. "Well you had better fill the Shieldstrumpet and the farmgirl in, otherwise they are going to start drooling soon.”
Noting Cyndwin’s confusion Xandilif smirked." Oh, what's the matter little Rohan girl? Sweet. loving Rian DOESN'T tell you everything? Goodness, what a shock. So much for love. Wondering what else she hasn’t mentioned?”
Cyndwin laughed, head back, refusing to be taunted. "Oh Xandilif I don't know if you know what love IS!"
Fillegedhiel turned to the two women, knowing an explanation was in order and wanting to distract Cyndwin from Xandilif's cruel taunts. "...Lif killed my father. Thorongil was his name... the one who has been after my head all this time. He is dead now, gone. I am finally free..."
Cyndwin goggled at her friend, having known Fille’s father was dead but nothing more. “But wait..what? she..killed him?”
Fillegedhiel frowned at the Banshee with some wetness in her eyes. "I am grateful Lif, but without Xan this wouldn't be possible. She protected me, protected us."
Xandilif shrugged and sneered. "Whatever, I am not claiming to be your savior, little fool. It was just a job...I got paid for it with good Dol Amroth silver...just another traitor, another head...nothing more, nothing less.”
Cyndwin strode forward to open her arms to Fille as Fillegedhiel fell into them, relieved but distraught by Lif's comments, when they were both brought up short by Xandilif’s voice, again strangely weary and serious.
She said, “No...that is a fecking lie...I was paid for the traitor dead or alive...I CHOSE dead. I know you little ducklings don’t get it, think I am the villain of Rian’s story because she is pretty and sweet and I…I am not… and you think that we hate one another like wet cats…but she IS my baby sister. I been keeping her alive for her entire damn life. You don’t see that. You can’t see that."
Fillegedhiel tried to cut in, “Well, I thank you regardless of the coin. He deserved to die...” but the Champion rolled right over her words, as if needing to have her say.
“Which is why her falling for every damn one of you latecomers that she finds is like a bird falling in love with a damn egg…eventually she is going to watch each and every one of you each break. You all think you are the first...Elbereth I could give you a fecking list. But that isn’t the point...Thorongil is. He was selling out Dol Amroth...all of it.."
Cyndwin stared. “To who??”
Xandilif sneered. “A bunch of delusional corsairs, shadowy as my backside on a moonless night...selling them a map through the monitors...you were a Swan Knight bitch, Fille...what happens if a bunch of corsair ships get through the monitors into the Port of Dol Amroth itself?
Fillegedhiel blinked in grief, “The city falls. Father selling maps... this is unsurprising, yet...I cannot believe it."
Cyndwin shook her head, “Well...if he hadn't deserved his fate already...” then squeezed Fille's hand and let the sentence trail off.
Xandilif continued, “So I gutted a few cut rate corsairs and broke up their little arrangment. Only the corsair captain was even stupider than he looked, and assuming once a traitor always a traitor figured that Thorongil had done the dirty on him, and cut him hip to hip. After dealing with the corsair, I was left with your daddy bleeding like an overfed pig.”
Fillegedhiel winced despite herself, "Hip to h-hip..." she swallowed hard.
The Champion nodded, “I have found that most of you latecomers, when you lose enough blood, you start to speak stupid fluently and act even stupider...your father was no different. He took a slice at me with a pretty little toy of a blade he had hidden away...and I said that his daughter would like it as a keepsake. At which point he dumps the bag...says you were a traitorous bitch and he should have killed you when he killed your bitch of a mother.”
Cyndwin sighed and squeezed Fille's hand as the words sank in, and Fillegedhiel blinked in anger, "That scum of a dog...".
Xandilif shrugged. "So I became cross, and mentioned that you'd been in Bree the whole time under my sister's skirts and he starts off on his normal nonsense, how is going to send people here to find you, to get on your trail and finish things....and I saw red. So I laid justice down on him...with all the formalities...and took his head.”
Cyndwin sputtered, '"Formalities? what more were needed?" as Fillegedhiel smiled in satisfaction.
The Champion took another pull on the stolen wine bottle. “High Justice, in the name of Elessar and Elrond and Imrahil..blah blah blah. All the normal garbage...but what matters is he is dead as dreams and is never coming back.
The Shieldmaiden hugged Fille tightly. "Well, he will dispatch no-one now…a fitting end for an oathbreaker..."'
Xandilif suddenly threw a dagger point first into the fine wood flooring at Fillegedhiel’s feet, causing all three to jump. “So…this knife...it is odd so I figured you would want it. It is all fancy but not Elven...with a crest that is not of the Swan Knights...and it has a name on the blade...Cugedhiel it says...ring any bells?”
Fillegedhiel repeated the name again and again like a prayer. Then she stared at Xandilif, her eyes wide. “M-mother.”
Xandilif nodded softly..."Yes...I figured it was a trophy..he kept it in his sleeve like any damn coward would.”
Fillegedhiel pulled the knife free and examined the crest, "T-this is..was…my Mother’s..." her voice broke as she began shaking.
Xandilif nodded again. "I thought she'd want you to have it.”
Cyndwin pet her friend’s hair, whispering “Oh....Oh Fille...” as Gretal stood there awkwardly, unsure how to react to all of this, so newly drawn into this world that seemed so far from Bree homesteads.
Fillegedhiel clutched the knife to her chest and tried not to cry out of embarrassment, but failed. “T-thank you Lif...”
Xandilif nodded softly, apparently just as embarrassed, her face frozen. Then she looked back at Gretal, regaining her normal sneer. "Stop looking like a trout that just met the front end of a warg, farmgirl...if you are going to trail around with my sister you better get used to this nonsense...and these two.”
Fillegedhiel looked back at Gretal and gave her an encouraging, welcoming smile. She then turned back to Cyn and smiled at her beloved friend with tears in her eyes.
Xandilif put down the second wine bottle, now also empty, and retrieved SilverWand. “So this matter is quit between us, forgewench...I spoke to the Princess...the warrants on your head in Dol Amroth are dropped...your citizenship is restored if you want it. His holdings and lands, that which aren’t claimed by the crown...are yours. You are Fillegedhiel of the Swan Knights, Daughter of Cugedhiel on the rolls of Dol Amroth in the Court of the Prince. It is all legal and finalized. Runaway no more.”
Fillegedhiel smiled widely, she felt free, "I can go back home... at last I can go back home!" she cheered.
Cyndwin beamed and nodded and grinned at her "Yes..yes you can! And that's a proper mouthful of titles, Fille. Rian will be so proud."
Gretal smiled at Fille and tried to get out a proper sounding "Congratulations", but was herself close to tears, moved by the situation.
Xandilif cleared her throat, looking deeply uncomfortable. “Well, I need to return east, have a date with a Nazgul..well, former Nazgul. Long story. Very messy. Never mind. I...well...take care of her, you three. She is not nearly as all that as she thinks she is. Not that I care, but if she is going to simper around after wisps like yourself...maybe you three aren’t so bad. Better than some in the past lord knows."
The Champion looked at Cyndwin. "Especially you, bridle-girl. If you hurt her I swear to all that is holy I will ride you naked into Gorgoroth.”
Cyndwin flushed...blinking and coloring bright red, but gave back her stare "If I...you know I...she is everything to me!"
The Banshee nodded, but her eyes went as cold as death. “She better be...because you have NO DAMN idea what she is giving up for you, if she has to. As I said, she doesn’t tell you everything across silky pillows.”
The elleth strode through the three women as if they weren't there, finally calling back “Farewell...try not to die.” as the doors of the Library slammed behind her.
With Xandilif departed, Fillegedhiel breathed deeply and placed her Mother’s blade carefully on her belt, calling out, her voice thick with emotion, "Be well Lif..." before pulling the two women into her embrace, feeling truly at peace for the first time in years.
Just wait until she tells Xan, she thought.
