(Being a narrative derived from notes in Lancogard North-took’s Life-book)
I am calling this the Tale of the Once-Again’s – because that seems to be all it is filled with:
Once again, House Bar-en-Acharn rides off into the Wild on an expedition for lost lore and treasure;
Once again, Lady Seregrían digs her heels in and resists all advice - but then surprises all with a dose of hobbit-sense at last;
Once again, I must accompany friends into dangerous and terrible places, WELL beyond the Bounds of the Shire; and
Once again, there’s hints at darker things on the horizon.
A mixed cavalcade of folk set out from the hidden town of Esteldin (I had to make sure I got the spelling right), with Her Ladyship in the lead, of course, all bound for a place I had never heard of: the Dwarf-outpost of Othrikar (more spelling challenge). The expedition was a joint venture, it seemed, between House Bar-en-Acharn and the Blackburrow Trading Company, a group out of the Blue Mountains, so I took them to be. Upon arriving at Othrikar just after sunset, the expedition picked up a rather substantial cache of supplies that Mistress Catrena had organized; she had done a lot of planning and cross-talking with these Blackburrow folks, so the enterprise was well-provisioned, even with food! Well, not surprising, seeing that a hobbit, one Yumonyx by name, was of this Blackburrow company.
Her Ladyship took several folk to the side, presumably to give instructions on sommat or another, and I just happened to be close enough to listen in on the talk she had with Dwisen the Dwarf, our own Applecider and Royzenberry, and our newcomer Elf, Aethalis.
“Now, I must make this clear for all,” Seregrían was saying, “any lore, any artifact, even the slightest, must have every effort made to recover and bring it back. We cannot know its value or worth unless it is examined properly, and that may not be possible in the field.”
“Aye, save all the pages,” Applecider said.
“I agree, milady,” Dwisen said, and Aethalis nodded as well.
“I agree as well,” Royzenberry piped up, “though I’m looking forward to relics and squashing dead things.”
“Now these prizes,” she went on, “can come in any form: tablets, vessels, pages or even scraps. Even a shattered pot by the roadside might yield a puzzle piece.”
“An' no readin' inscribed curses out loud,” Applecider said. “Historically, thar leads ter problems.” That brought smiles all around.
“And that is wise: be cautious, but also be alert,” Seregrían said. “More I cannot advise on, for who knows what may be found? But all I ask in special is this,” and I swear I saw her eyes turn a shade brighter – maybe it was just the torchlight from the Dwarves’ outpost, but still…
“Should any of you find anything pertaining to the merrevail - even record of an encounter - I bid... no, I beg you. Bring back a full account.” The others simply nodded silently, and one by one returned to where the caravan was mounting up, but I had to touch on one subject…
“Your Ladyship? Shall I stay with you, or guard Cutch? Lor knows he needs it from time to time...”
“Lance, one of us must stay with Her, remember?” Cutch said.
“Well, why can't it be YOUR turn?” I replied.
“Oh, come on then Lancey,” Applecider chimed in, “a Shirriff needs ter see outside the Bounds from time ter time!”
“Let it be as Her Ladyship decides,” Cutch said.
“Well, Miss Gillie can stay with 'er for now -- why dinnae you BOTH come?” Applecider said, “or do I gots ter make you boys play nice again?”
“You have my leave, Lance,” Seregrían finally said, “to keep my wayward husband under guard. I shall be well watched here.”
Catrena was clearly chopping at the bit, rarin’ to go. "You may argue about who goes and who goes not - but those of us who already know that they are going, should begin going."
Seregrían nodded, then raised her voice to be heard by all the company. “Everyone, old friends and new! I leave Catrena in charge of the expedition. Follow her as you would me. Go now, and good fortune favor you all!'
“Thank you, Milady,” Catrena replied, “I remember your wish and will do my best to fulfill it.” And with a wave of her arm, the expedition moved out from Othrikar. I looked back over my shoulder as we rode south into the downs, and there stood Seregrían on the ramparts, still as carved wood, watching us all depart. I just knew in my heart she was wishing she was coming along…
We rode a little south, then turned east into a huge valley – a map Applecider showed me said it was called Nan Amlug in the Elf-tongue, Dragon Valley in plain speech (that didn’t make me feel none too safe).
“We ride to Lehma-koti, the Earth-kin camp”, Catrena called out. “Everyone at their own speed, and meet us there!”
“Maddie spotted two small orc-packs ahead,” Applecider told us, “but we can give 'em the ol' runaround.
After passing through what looked to me like a tunnel through the very hills, we popped out at a canyon filled with the most amazing creatures I had yet to see: Giant people! These were the ones Mistress Catrena called the Earth-kin, and I well believe it: they looked to be carved out of the very stones! Royzenberry moved a little closer to me, clearly in awe as I was. Even the Elves, Aethalis and Iyenue, were looking at them amazed.
“I've never heard or seen the like,” I said, ‘are these the Giants we've heard tell of?”
“I've heard mention of them, but never saw one first-hand.” Iyenue remarked.
Aethalis nodded, “Such marvelous creatures!” he said, as he wrote at once in his journal.
But Catrena, Kortheod and Cutch seemed unfazed by the giants. “Our mounts will be safe here. We shall proceed on foot into Angmar, it is not long, and not too dangerous. But once we reach the other side of the mountain, we must adapt to stealth as much as we can. Here, though, we will walk with fair ease.”
We started off up the canyon, Catrena and Dwisen in the lead, the rest of us in a column of twos, the Elves in rearguard. The night was gloomy and oppressive, and we only lit one torch, which Kortheod held as he walked in the center of the column. Off to both sides, I could hear the clattering of many legs and feet.
“Does it have to be spiders again?” I groaned.
“That be all we need,” Cider replied, “and the smell! What does that remind you of, Lancey-boy?”
“Cider, I’d gladly take the Wildwood over this place.”
“Doesn’t seem so wild now, does it?”
We came out of the canyon, and into the gloomiest most wretched land I ever saw! I felt queasy in the stomach just seeing the air, let alone the landscape. Catrena knew the land, or at the least had studied enough maps to know where she wished to go; which was lucky, for I truly didn’t see how my own woodcraft could help here!
