Iorniel had never travelled anywhere much further past her own lands, and the prospects that ere came to her upon the crossing of the Baranduin were of an unknown nature. Before she had wandered here and there down the passes and crossings, though never had she set foot to cross, except with the vision of her eyes, ever gazing over the watery depths and ever learning, though never had she chased across the frothy currents. Never had she, except for now. The means to cross into the lands unknown sat ahead of her, a small bridge constructed by those seeking to make passage both ways across the river, barring also the passage of water underneath it. Rampant water licked at the stone foundations, before rolling past the hard-set metal grate and onwards with the current. Iorniel sighed with her sense of duty weighing heavily upon her.
It was now her turn to leave the safety of what she knew. Laying the sole of her boot against the hard-wood of the crossing, she put haste to her thought and crossed at once. All about her it seemed that the world sat still, or at least to her the birds stopped their songs, and the breeze from the horizon ceased to blow upon her and everything she had come to know in all things seemed to be irrelevant at this time as she gazed to the east. There was indeed the sense that all she had come to know would need to be renewed in the lands ahead, and at last she came to the end of the bridge, setting her foot down onto the path. Little she knew of what awaited her, for ever had she been nurtured and guided by the boughs of the Golden Woods, and although before had she left the protection of that realm, never before had she ventured to this very land. Yet now summons brought her there, not the summons of another but more so the will of her own to seek out those of her own kin.
And she went far northwards, following the winding path of the waters and ere long she came to the lands of the Periannath, though the hour was late and none noticed her passage through those lands, for she was fleet of foot and lithe of form, and eventually she happened upon a pair of evening-goers, or in those lands they were called Bounders, and they bore swords around clasps in their belts, and were swathed in earthly colours yet certainly there was a degree of authority amongst them as they strode down the cobbled path, lanterns in their hands held aloft. At this moment, Iorniel strayed from the path, concealing herself under the ancient trunk of an old tree that slept motionless with the grass, the wind and the birds under the soporific cloak of night. However in that time Iorniel was sleepless. She gazed upon the halflings with wonder, as never before had they been introduced to her, and in her study she saw the fire of an indomitable species, yet also were they carefree and at the same time they guarded the lands after those of their own kin had retired to their beds along with the light and the wind. For what reason they kept watch, she did not know. After the two had passed from her sight, she moved again onto the road, continuing onwards, but ever was her thought upon those two short guardians, and at length she slowed awhile to take in the lands around her. In them she found a great settling peace that in her past haste she had not seen. It came to pass that she went far westwards to the lands of Ered Luin, and at the crossing near Falathlorn she came over the Lhûn. It was there that she discovered Duillond, and all there was known to her, for the welcoming company of the Elven-folk was not lessened even in those times, and she sat long with company and learnt long of the things she had seen. It was there that she finished her journey, in the lands far eastward from her home.
