Arvaldon’s Story – Chapter I: The Illegitimate Child

It was almost dawn in the North-Downs, the early morning mist spread far across the green fields causing the dew upon the grass to sparkle from the light. Few were awake within Hereward’s land, save the two men who woke early to tend to the live stock. From the mist emerged a man, wrapped within a thick cloak shielding himself from the bitter cold mist. He walked closer towards the workmen who were unaware of his presence.

“Good day to you!” the cloaked man spoke, his breath visible upon the air. “I come to speak with the Lord of this estate, is he present?” The two workmen were startled to hear the voice and spun around to meet it.
“There’s a foul name for people who go sneaking in the mist.” Spoke the first man taking a step closer, “I shall not summon my master until I know what you want.” The cloaked man paused for a moment before answering
“My news is for him alone, I pray you summon your master to me now.” The workman opened his mouth as though about to protest before another man walked from behind them.

“There is no need to summon me Mr Beckett, for I am already here. Speak your piece stranger for I am Hereward, lord of this estate. What business do you have with me?” The stranger did not hesitate to reply, “I come for the boy Arvaldon, I am told he is in your keeping?” The workmen murmured in the background as Hereward’s face grew stern.
“What foolishness is this? I’m afraid I cannot give you the permissions you seek and for very good reason. Arvaldon is my son and no man shall take him from my estate but me!” The stranger paused for a moment as though surveying Lord Hereward.
“I speak again; I come for the boy Arvaldon, the illegitimate son of Threldon and Ewethil, not your son my Lord.” At this the workmen gasped and began to chatter franticly in the background, Hereward’s voice became more threatening and angered. “Beckett! Lumbar! Away with you! Leave me and this man in peace!”

The two men gathered their tools and left with haste as Hereward moved closer to the stranger. “Be careful of what you say, for your claims are that of lunacy! How dare you come to my estate and call my own son my own flesh and blood a bastard! Not to mention you also claim my wife had illegitimate relations with another man! I should cut off your head right where you-”
“I do not lie” the stranger interrupted. “For my kinsman Threldon was very clear on the matter, I have it written here on paper if you wish to see it.” Lord Hereward snapped the paper from the stranger scanning it swiftly for a moment. “Take your time my Lord Hereward, I shall return in two months. But then I hope you have sorted out these affairs and are willing to comply with my request. Until then, farewell.” The stranger walked from Herewards estate back into the mist, Hereward watched him speechless and furious until he was no longer visible.

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Three months had passed. The cold mist had been replaced by a calm spring morning, the sky was orange and birds twittered their dawn chorus. Two men now approached Herewards estate; they were dressed in brown hooded cloaks and pulled horses along with them.
“Good fellow! We come to seek an audience with your master; will you summon him?” The bearded man who sat whittling outside of his hut stared at the two before getting to his feet.

“I shall good men, for he has cursed the day when you should arrive for a long time now. I know why you have come, and be it known that on your last visit you made him a broken man. The truth is best not known to those who are happy.” The villager scowled at the two before the speaker answered
“The truth must be known in this case, for it is the will of a dead man, the dead man being the youth’s true father. You or your lord cannot stand against that.” The villager continued to glare at the two before replying,
“You will come with me.” Herewards estate consisted of eight houses all of which held families, the two men were lead up to the largest house which sat atop a small hill, this was the Lords home.
“Let them in!” Lord Hereward shouted as the doors creaking open on his command. Hereward was standing in front of a fire place, hunched over resting upon its mantle. “Grethwen, go.” The bearded man nodded solemnly before leaving the room shutting the doors behind him.

The men moved towards Hereward in which he began to speak. “We were happy here,” he whispered turning to them “We were happy to live in blissful ignorance of the truth. I raised the boy as one of my own, I was proud to call him my son. Then on that foul day in the winter you come and tear my heart in two. My wife upon my questioning fled the estate in the night out of shame, never to be seen again. And each new day adds a gash to my wounds for I am to comfort a crying boy who is not of my own as I thought.”

Hereward sat upon a large chair by the fire, he looked tired and aged. “He shall always be my son and heir, when I die this estate and my fortune shall be his. That is my gift to him, in a hope that he remembers me fondly from this land. I can do no more for him.” Hereward waved a feeble hand towards the door on his left. “Take him and go, for I know your intention. You are to bare him east of here to the ruins! Make him one of your kind, Rangers, what ever you name yourselves!” Hereward’s voice began to brake. “Give me an hour with him, then leave this place and never return.”

Arvaldon was five when the rangers took him from the estate; he had very little memory of the days he spent there. He lived in Esteldin through most of his youth being trained by a friend of his fathers. His father Threldon had been killed by Goblins in the mountains to the west. Before his death he left his last will and testament in the hands of a Ranger named Daradelm. This stated that his illegitimate son, Arvaldon, was to be brought to Esteldin and nurtured by the rangers. For he was of Dunedain blood, and in the eyes of many with his kin was where he belonged. Daradelm taught Arvaldon swordsmanship, archery, and all the skills required of a ranger. As he grew Arvaldon spent much time in the wild, developing a keen love for the lands treating every forest as a home. It was not until he became of age and was preparing to leave Esteldin that Daradelm approached Arvaldon, to remind him of a past he had long forgotten.

“Arvaldon, before you leave there is something you must know” Daradelm spoke, standing outside of Arvaldon’s tent.
“Oh? What could you have to say now that you haven’t already?” he answered emerging from the tent carrying a large travel pack.
“Please, may we sit?” Daradelm asked gesturing towards a log set before a fire.
“We may but speak with all haste my friend, for the hour is late and I am long overdue.” The two soon sat before the fire and Daradelm began to tell his tale. “In my hand Arvaldon, I have a deed. This deed was to be passed onto you by one Lord Hereward of an estate in the far south of the downs. Do you remember Lord Hereward?” Arvaldon turned from Daradelm gazing into the fire.
“I remember very little, is this not the man you said cared for me in my father’s absence?” Daradelm frowned and answered.

“No Arvaldon, this man thought he was your father before he discovered the truth. You lived with him and your mother within his estate since you were born, before Threldon was slain and the truth discovered. This Lord Hereward made you his sole heir, and with that has made you lord of his estate.” Daradelm extended his arm offering a sealed envelope, “So I offer it to you now, for you have now two choices. To continue your plans to explore Middle-Earth and all it’s domains as a ranger. Or return to your past and become a Lord. What say you?”
It took a while for Arvaldon to answer. “My father, Threldon, was right. It was my destiny to become what I am. I cannot cast that aside and become a Lord of an estate, no matter how grand a land it is. No, I must continue on my path, for I am now of age and need to begin to forge my own story in the footsteps of Threldon.”

Daradelm nodded with a smile, “Aye, Threldon was a good man, and you will be to I wager. Let me keep this deed safe for you here, where you can access it at your own will in a better time when evil is not so great. I hear the families who still live there have been tending to the land well since Hereward’s untimely death. The man did love you Arvaldon.”
Arvaldon smiled, “I only wish I could remember him and my mother. Though perhaps this makes things easier, for my path shall not be hindered by any whom I leave behind me.” Daradelm nodded in agreement clasping the Arvaldon by the shoulder. “You shall be greatly missed my friend. Now, seek out Saelran on your travels, for he will be a great ally to you in the days to come. You have become a great man Arvaldon, Threldon would be proud.”

Arvaldon did not return to Eriador for over a decade...