Leofmunds journal: 14th day of the journey south
I have no clue as to where we are, these lands are strange to me. Wulfreda says its called Eregion, but i fear I will be of no use for navigation, until we reach Dunland. I finally managed to find some time to write. At least my journal was not lost with everything else. I only wish now I had not been so stubborn. Daellas was right, this was no journey for a horse. Had i listened to him, Wyne would be grazing outside my sisters house now. Instead, vile men butchered him! Now i mourn him, as I have seen my comrades in arms morn their fallen steeds.
We are camped on a small ledge on a hillside. Narrow stairs cut in the bare rock face, led us up here. And they wind their way further up the hill. Below us men , bearing striking resemblance to the fierce men dressed in red that me and Wulfreda slew in Trollshaws. They patrol the open grounds below, but they dare not venture up the hill, even though they must know we are here. As I was on my watch during the night, I figured out why.
I heard a sound and went up the stairs, only to get overpowered as if by shadows. I felt the cold blade on my throat and i had no choice. They coaxed me up the stairs, into a small ruin with a campfire. To my horror i saw they were pointy-ears...elven breed. They spoke between them with words i did not understand. I then remembered my disguise, my smelly dunlending armor, and managed to whisper ”Rohirrim..”. One of them looked at my knife, with the two horse heads on the hilt. ”A horse lord, without a horse?” I heard them laughing, quietly between themselves. After some questions and answers they finally believed me. I did not know if they had found my companions, so i kept that part out.
I was sipping some hot tea i had been offered, when one of them took interest in my bow and quiver. It was then that i learned that they weren’t trapped up here, just keeping a lookout. There certainly where enough of them to defend the stairs. It seemed to me they were short of supplies and the loot they had salvaged from the foul men below the hill, had little appeal to them. In the end i bartered my bow and quiver for a pair of good boots, since the ones i got was falling apart. I didn’t want to part with the bow but my feet would be happy for a change. Immediately they unstrung the bow and got to work on it. Another one seemed to straighten the arrows. Not sure why my bow wasn’t good enough as it was. I didnt want to stay and find out.
I left the elves at their camp and went down the stairs. Below i found my companions asleep. We were safe for the moment. Not sure i will tell them of this nightly encounter, no need to worry them further with the presence of elves.
