It was dusk and Meadowyn could not find her red cloak that she enjoyed to gaze upon. Though it were an insignificant decoration she thought it to be something special, as it was a bit of her home and she grew to treasure such things more as the days passed. She grew frustrated and sought throughout the house to no avail, she doubted that she could have lost it, for she seldom wore it. Then a thought came to her mind.
"Aegaldred!" She suddenly said to herself and clenched her fists, she remembered that her brother Aegaldred seemed to have been lacking his own red cloak for many days and when she inquired of it he would seek to evade the matter with cunning words. Now she knew that he may have lost his own cloak - or worse, and so took hers without her say. "The fool needed only to ask! Whither is he?" She asked herself and went through the door. The light of day embraced her features and the long shadows of dusk were stretching. She glanced left, and then right, yet found no sign of her brother.
There was a guardsman lingering nearby, his post seemed to have been fortunately near her house, and she thought that this man would know which way her brother had gone. Even so, she thought that her chances of finding him were slim, nonetheless, she wished for her cloak ere her brother could do any harm to it - or worse. Her mind was bent upon the task at hand as she approached the guardsman, greeting, "Ho there! Have you seen a tall blonde man clad in a red cloak pass here?" She asked him, and in turn she received a strange look, the man's face became dull as though he had indeed seen this. His lips parted and he spoke in his thick Bree-land accent, "Yes, I have as a matter of fact. Passed up the hill a few hours ago, then came down again and went out the West gate not too long ago."
Meadowyn clenched a fist and dreaded what her brother may have been doing beyond the walls of Bree with her cloak. However, ere she could bid farewell the guard spoke once more, "All clad in armour, he was. Tall fellow's causing some trouble, I reckon, best find him before he brings his mischief inside the walls, and have a good day." Meadowyn gave him a strange look at those words. Now, with difficulty she shunned the thought of what Aegaldred may be doing beyond the hedge-wall of Bree in her cloak and some armour.
Like a spring she set off in a hurry, she was worried for her brother but did not know where he could be found. She went West as swift as she could, and her feet were swift. She has ever been accustomed to running with the weight of her armour suffocating her sprint, but not today; she ran swiftly and could endure long without break. Yet she could find no sign of him to the North. She cursed beneath her heavy breaths and then turned, and ran back towards the Cross-roads just beyond the West gate and then went South as swift as her feet could carry her. Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! They went on the ground with each swift step, the sweat upon her brow grew think and after running that way for a while she still could not find her brother. Then she turned around and ran North as quick as her feet would take her, doubting that Aegaldred would have any reason to stray from the road. Now when she ran North she ran the furthest, but she grew weary and the lands were growing dark as the sun set beyond the hills. The stars unveiled themselves in the skies and Meadowyn could run no further. She was out of breath and set her hands upon her knees, hunching her back as she panted for air. She was terribly worried of what her brother may have gone and done, and now unable to shun the thoughts to the back of her mind when her intent was shattered by her weariness. It seemed to her as though all hope was lost and she would have even less chance of finding her brother in the dark.
Then as she gathered endurance once more her mind had begun to clear, she took her drinking skin and had a sip of water when a sound came clear to her ears. It was the sound of a thunk coming from the right side of the road where she could see the dark shapes of the boughs of some trees. She climbed over the nearby fencing and followed the sound. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! It grew louder. This was her last hope, she wished that it was her brother, even if the thunking were some one knocking him over the head with a plank.
But what she found was different. There was Aegaldred and his sword drawn. Swing, after swing, after swing he sent it against the bough of the tree, chipping away the wood more and more. There had already been a wide space on the tree where Aegaldred had chopped senselessly, and upon some other nearby trees, however difficult to see in the dark. Meadowyn gazed upon her brother in concern, yet he seemed not to notice her in the ire of his swings.
"I!"
He swung;
"Hate!"
He swung again;
"This!"
He swung again;
"Place!"
And the sword came down upon the tree for the last time before he was weary.
Aegaldred stooped and was breathing what breaths he lost, then he cast his sword down with an angry cry. Meadowyn gazed upon him with worry, and it seemed that she now no longer cared for her cloak. Her brother was more dear to her heart and seeing him in such rage only pained her.
Aegaldred collapsed in his weariness. Lying upon the grass, the sounds of his breaths seemed louder than the night's crickets and it was not long before he sat up and began to struck the ground with his fists, loosing all the ire that he had built in the passed days. Though his arms were already weary, he pushed them further than he had in a long time and it was clear to him that there was still much of his old strength within them. Meadowyn approached silently and stooped for his sword. The blade was bent after the battering and she frowned deeply, knowing well that Aegaldred loved his sword. Now it seemed to her that he did not spend a moment to think of the harm he would cause it.
She approached him and sat upon her haunches at his side, speaking calm words in their own tongue, however, I shall translate, "Such a blade should not be handled with both hands," she said, and Aegaldred's fist came upon the ground and ceased lifting as Meadowyn's presence was made clear. However Aegaldred being a man of many words could not now find any to say to her, and some silence passed before she spoke in their own tongue once more: "I hate it too, brother, but what can we do?"
"Go home!" He exclaimed loudly.
Though Meadowyn shook her head in reprimand, "We cannot, brother. You ,of all, know what lies in wait there should we disobey our father's will in this. Not only so, but the Riddermark is unsafe for our sisters," she said with wisdom, but Aegaldred's mind was still hot with his ire, "We have disobeyed him before, why not again?" he asked, but Meadowyn knew what to say to him, "He laid the task upon you, brother, it is upon your honour to carry this out and prove to father that you be as great a man as Meadwine is. Without riding to wars in distant lands."
"He expects so much of me! Why of me? Would it not have been Meadwine if Meadwine were there-"
"Nay, Aegaldred!" She interrupted, "We know well that he would never have Meadwine do such a task, he wished for Meadwine to remain upon the fronts of war where he can make a great name for himself in such a manner. For how many years will remain blind to see that you and I are seen differently in his eyes, for I am be a Shield-maiden and you a bard instead of the warrior he would have wished you to be? You were a silly boy and often a poor brother, but you are my brother nonetheless and you shall remain so."
These words of comfort struck Aegaldred and softened his mood, but if that were not enough Meadowyn took him in her arms and embraced him there in the dark between the trunks of trees. "You will always be my little brother, and what troubles my little brother troubles me. Many have learnt better than to challenge my wrath and I think that many more shall learn so in days to come."
Then the faintest of laughs seemed to drip like droplets from his tongue. Meadowyn held him with one and aided him to stand, she kept his sword in one hand. "You will need to see a smithy to straighten this, however we have not the coin now. If you wait a while then I shall stow some for you. You should cease lingering and doing naught, brother--" She was interrupted, "Meadowyn, Shieldmaid, sister. I love you, and I am at guilt for never having spoken these words more often before." She managed a smile and began to lead him towards town, "No, you have not spoken them often. Not all things need be spoken to be known, Eggy, yet I would not expect a man of words to know this." They laughed merrily together and their moods seemed much lighter now, "You underestimate me then!" Said Aegaldred and together they made their way towards town looming in the distance as night went on. They were weary and getting cold, more terribly they were hungry. Though with their minds now at ease they could speak of this together calmly and with merry toned voices.
