Lindovor slowly climbed the stairs to the topmost chamber of the manor house, as he did most mornings. Since his return to Arrowhaven he had gotten into the habit of drinking in the sun's first rays from the eastern balcony before settling down to copy one of the ancient, crumbling scrolls from the Lady's vast library.
As he prepared his ink and quills for the days work, he smiled sadly to himself. It was quiet in the cloistered house...more so than usual, though perhaps that was not an unwelcome thing for the old soldier. Lord Balisan had shown no sign of recovery from the strange malady that held him, and now the Order's finest scout, Lady Sybri, had been afflicted in the same way. The Lady Iaurmenel was at a loss, and had had them carefully laid in a wain that had been bolstered with soft fur to take them in search of the most potent of elvish healing arts.
Of the others that had been with him on the ill-fated expedition into the cold north, Lindovor had heard nothing. It had been many days since the man of the west, Angelnarth, had gone in search of clues to discover what might have befallen the Lady Sybri. The one-eyed hulk of a man, Brulk, had disappeared as well. And the young northman had sent no word, though in truth he had not been with the party that had returned to Arrowhaven in both victory and sadness.
As Lindovor carefully copied the flowing lines of tengwar script, he chuckled to himself as he made mental note that he had not seen the elves of their party either. That in itself was not surprising, as elves by nature seem rather elusive. But neither the huntress nor the bard had crossed his sight since he woke in the healing chambers of the Order. This did not worry him, however, as they had proved themselves skilled in looking after themselves as well as their companions.
The sun rose higher, warming the chill air and brightening the landscape. Smoke began rising from the chimneys of the village and the sounds of activity began to join the high trill of bird song. Lindovor bent to his work, drinking in the wisdom of words along with the flowing letters:
"Patience is the key, for it reveals what is in the light of what has been and holds the way for what is to come..."
