Ileen sits on a rock against the wall of a nearby building, the sun reflecting on her golden, long, well-kept hair. It is her pride as she is not especially beautiful otherwise and her tall and sturdy stature always cast her out of the ranks of pretty girls. But is when you see her eyes and face of stone that any comment on a beautiful day vanishes from your lips. She plays with a rolled parchment beating the stone with it like a cat whips with her tail when annoyed, looking still at the door even not on guard duty. If one would read her words then her state of mind would be clearer.
"Shame. I feel ashamed of what my kindred can be like at times. Is it only war that made us so? Do I dare hope it? As our small company rode west we encountered a most strange group. Elves. They were not many and looked to be in bad shape, some of them wounded, and all looking hungry and tired. They were far from the impressive, fear-driving image of their folk. They were not from the forest in the north that we call Dwimordene and them Lorien, but from the far Rivendell. They told us they passed the Ford before it fell. They told they search for a leader of theirs who was taken towards Mordor by agents of the Ennemy.
Denholm was our leader from before leaving the city so it was his decision and he decided to march them to the nearest town of Grimsdale as prisoners. They seemed tempted to resist us be it of pride or emergency. From my part I would have let them go on their road for their words sounded true and I owe my life to one of their kin so I believe nothing from all our legends on them. Denholm decided to follow the decree of the King on trespassers. He follows his own mind when we defend our lads from the White Hand Orcs but here prejudice talked before reason. Yet I was sure the elves would prove their innocence in the end he had the law of the king talk for his decision. I was sad we needed to disarm one by force -for she would not part of her sword and was ready to die for this. In the end was one of her kindred who hit her unconscient before any of us hurt her for her unwillingness to obey. Even when another proved defying and uncurteous I tried to keep my attitude towards them one for blameless guests, travelers who our law -and no proven guilt- asks us to keep from their path for a while.
Never in my darkest dreams I imagined my folk would walk the path from prejudice and fear to mockery and total forgetting of one's duty to a traveler in his lands, a traveler who caused him no harm, wounded and hungry. Never did I think I will need to negotiate with Denholm -rough as he might be- the basic of giving them some food. Never I imagined he and the rest of our men would cheat a barrel of mead from the storage keepers and then drink it merrily before thirsty others with no shame. Never I imagined a commander of any sort of a Rohirrim company, militia or not, would not discourage such shameful behavior but join it. Never did I imagine my word would weight so little and my counsel be met only with threats that I will not be allowed around if I try to make the elves's stay as bearable as possible until their guilt or innocence is proven - and with laughs in my face and behind me. My folk forgot the lesson of Wyrgende, courtesy and decency. My sword and my life belong to my kindred but I dare hope to find a better way to put them to use than miss treat travelers and encourage rudeness"
