Lathwen looked out over the lands before her, seeing how the earth seemed parched and dry, yet trees were standing here and there. The Lone Lands indeed, only goblins and wargs would make a home there, and what had prompted the building of an inn just at the border she would never fathom.
There were plenty of ruins speaking of a greater age, but they were fallen to dust in places, settled now only by goblin tribes and wargs, a hideous mix, that was certain to claim more than a few unwary travellers of their lives. She had seen more evidence than needed of the many assaults on people using the one road leading through the land, and without any major settlement left, Ost Guruth could not even be called a real settlement, given how few there lived there, a standing guard to keep the road safe was simply wishful thinking.
She wondered what course to take as she fed Candroch an apple, "come on old friend, we better get going..". She mounted the grey stallion and let him find the road on his own, he knew that they had to continue east, and in time find the hidden vale of Elrond, Imladris.
It would be good to be amongst kin again, though she loathed the prospect of small talk and mere idling around, still, she had to find out if the rumour was true, that elves from all over met there oft, and gathered in friendship under the roof of the lord of the vale.
Was union amongst the elves not the only thing left?, was gathering to share news of the enemy, share worries and grief, and share a respite in joy not something to value, something to seek?. Her father had believed so, all those years ago, when he told her to always seek out the settlements of her people, when Ossiriand had been green, the forests dense, and the wilds still safe from orc and other foes. He had been right then, and his words held true even now, after Ossiriand was no more, and only a small remnant of the elves still remained in the east lands. Her father and mother had faded when the world was sundered, as had so many more, so many lives lost to the world, fates decided not by their own wish, but by the cruel intentions of Morgoth, and the vengeance of the valar.
Why did the world need to be torn apart and the elves scattered like leafs upon the wind?, she had never understood that part, she knew why the valar had descended at last to oust the enemy, but was the cost really necessary?.
Candroch made his way up a hill, and Lathwen once more paid attention to the surrounding lands, she saw birds afar, probably more of the watchful crebain of the south, she knew they did not belong there, for they had their natural habitats south, near the Isen. Their presence this far north and west did not bode well, and indeed that too was one of the reasons she was making for Imladris, she wanted news from the south, wanted to know if the rumour amongst men and perian were true, that the shadow was once more growing in the east.
A bird flew closer, and she notched an arrow in her bow, taking careful aim she let fly, and was rewarded with the shriek of the bird, as her arrow tore into it, and it fell to the ground. She rode up and retrieved her arrow, plucking a dark feather and adding it to her bag. She let Candroch nuzzle her shoulder as the horse stood quietly beside her, "Curse this land and it's emptiness... I long for trees, candroch... maybe we should make for Lorien.."
Lathwen mounted the horse and rode on.
