Time is ever fleeting, ever streaming, ever moving. Seconds crawl, hours pass and days fly by. Many months of confinement to hearth and home is nearing its end as broken bones and ligaments have mended well, and the waning muscles are once again getting stronger by the day with vigorous exercise and merely moving about in a - more or less - normal fashion, even though I still require a crutch or staff for longer walks, lest the poor leg will pain me greatly for the remainder of the day.
Once I was a strong man, for months I was a crippled mess and ever fearful of losing my foot, but thanks to my beloved Yllfa’s hands of healing I am once again walking on my own two feet, and the freedom to walk has never tasted so good. The women of my household have cared so well for me, even though in my darkest hours I have been a huge burden upon them. But what is the point of family, if not to endure and aid each other in these worst moments of our lives?
Daily chores are now merely a nuisance, instead of an impossible task. Once again I am able to ride, and many have been the hours spent upon Ealfin’s strong back, charging over the grassy fields with sword in hand. Ah, to ride again! To walk! Summer may be as good as over, but for all the time lost to this dreadful injury, we are all training hard in hope to become stronger than ever.
As I walk the long road to find my old self, I watch my little Ethel growing before my eyes. Where once there stood a teary-eyed little girl by my bedside late at night, begging to be cradled and comforted after a dreadful nightmare, now there stands a young, beautiful woman caring for me instead, making certain I am not hurting or in discomfort. Such is the cycle of life, and in thanks to all the powers that be, I am ever grateful for her coming into my life. For all my faults and shortcomings, I am truly a lucky and happy man with Ethel and Yllfa beside me. Now winter approaches again, and there is much to do for all of us. Wood must be felled and chopped, food be gathered, and everyone needs to be well fed to endure the months of ice and snow ahead.
Bancross has fared well so far under my brother-in-law’s watchful presence, much better than I would ever have thought possible. I feel safe here, even though the dangers are ever present around us, and the rumors are growing worse. I fear that one day our bubble of apparent safety will burst and our happiness turn to ash again, and that we will need to fight for that which is ours by right. By life and death, by sword and shield, one day there will be a reckoning. War is brewing, and soon the darkness will come down upon us, and the fate of Middle-Earth lies in the balance. I just hope my long walk to recovery will be finished before that moment of truth arrives.
