Menelya, the 53rd day of Quellë
You must pardon me, my leather-bound friend, if I have neglected your pages of late. So much has happened in the past days I fear I would never have time to write it all down, were I to try. For the gears of war are turning, and Bar-en-Vanimar is enmeshed in them. Preparations for war in the East have occupied nearly all in the house, including myself. The Lord Ambassador has recently returned from trading with the Naugrim for iron and other raw materials. Already our craftsmen have assembled under the watchful eye of Ararusco to prepare weapons, amour and tools.
And Nuldafairë has returned from Eregion, merely going from one duty to another, for every morning the Arrows are at the practice fields for target practice, and besides there are several new recruits to be trained. Our Hammers have also been training; I saw them running about the Valley several days ago, making for the High Moor, it seemed. Eliriael was with them, in case they needed a healer, and from what I have heard afterwards her services were indeed necessary. Sergeant Ancalasse injured himself by falling from a tree, somehow, and the wound was rather serious. But that was several enquier ago, and he seems to have recovered nicely.
Speaking of the Hammer, my nephew Lachmir has entered their ranks as a recruit, though I know not how he managed it. He was dismissed from service in the Guard shortly after his promotion, due to 'unruly behaviour and insubordination,' though it would be better described as a penchant for drink and practical jokes. He is a dear boy, but a bit boor-headed at times, and I hope service in the Hammer will beat him into better shape. Of course, Tinwen was rather appalled at the whole affair, but relented when she heard that he was now a recruit in a renowned Order within Vanimar.
At this moment, I do not think it wise to inform her that the Hammers are bound for Mirkwood, come spring, or she will surely have a nervous breakdown. Tinwen is a good mother, but entirely too over-protective of her son. In his four centuries of life he has not once crossed the Bruinen on patrol, for she has made sure he was assigned only to the companies remaining close to the Valley. In truth, I am not sure if Lachmir has been informed of the current state of the house and our plans for war. I ought to take him aside and speak with him of this, lest he find out on his own and set the household in an uproar.
You may wonder how I can talk so flippantly of such serious matters, such as war, and the threat of death for all our warriors, weather on the road or on the battlefield. I remember well, when I was younger, how the shadow of war in the North reached even to Imladris. But then, I was far away with Naneth and Tinwen in Lórien, while Ada remained in Imladris. There is nothing like the pain of knowing those you love are in the path of danger, when you yourself are safe and far away. But dwelling upon pain and fear only weakens the heart, and dampens the resolve to endure. I find that busy hands and an occupied mind are the best companions in such times. I would be lying if I said that the thought of my beloved or my brother marching into hostile lands did not cause me pain. Yet that is their duty, and mine is to aid them as best I can, with what talents are given me. I have begged leave of my colleagues in the Library to have my duties there reduced, so that I may devote more time to aiding Vanimar in preparations for war.
Tinwen has been teaching me some herb-lore related to the curing of poisons, and of healing in general. So far I do not know if I will be called upon to be a healer in the field, but I can at least put my aptitude for research to good use in learning of the different herbs and the medicines that may be prepared from them.
A fortnight ago, I went out with Eliriael and several other healers to collect herbs from the High Moor. It began to rain heavily after we had set out, and we were forced to picket the horses under a copse of trees and continue on foot. I was thankful I had brought a hooded cloak, though I fear I made rather a fool of myself, asking what each and every plant was to be used for. Eliriael kindly bore with my questions, and provided an impressive array of satchels and other supplies for all of us. She is a most remarkable lady; kind and unassuming, with a childlike joy and determination in the face of adversity (in this case, the rain). I am glad to count her as a friend.
Sorontar, the Lord Ambassador's clerk, accompanied us on our outing. However, he managed to wander off and we spent a harrowing hour looking for him before finding him perched upon a large nest of some sort, admiring a clutch of large eggs. I know not to what sort of beast they belonged, but he was quite taken with them and decided to bring one of the eggs back with him. Unfortunately the egg met with an unfortunate mishap and cracked, spilling all over his (rather costly) garments - which were not at all suited to a day out of doors. We returned from our expedition some hours later, drenched and laden with bags of herbs. Despite his earlier mishap, Sorontar seemed quite well when I saw him later in the Hall of Fire, enjoying a goblet of wine with Lord Parnard himself.
In the past days, I have been quite busy with work both in the library and the houses of healing. Laurelindo suggested that all the healers in Vanimar work together on the matter of developing a suitable antidote for spider venom, so he, Eliriael, Tyulussë, and I have been spending much time in the library discussing such matters. It is not the most pleasant subject of research, but I will do what I must. Yet the labour is lessened among such excellent (and often entertaining) company. Laurelindo and Tyulussë are old friends from Eregion, and make quite the merry pair. In truth I had not seen Laurelindo jest once before Tyulussë arrived in the Valley, but now they can often be seen swapping stories and jokes in the Hall of Fire. And Tyulussë has also a formidable knowledge of healing, gathered from centuries of experience. He seemed quite surprised that Laurelindo had taken up the healing arts, when before he was merely a poet and musician. If that is so, there may be hope that I shall make a decent healer yet.
The ink in my inkwell is running low. I must go and prepare some more on the morrow , it seems. It is late, so I shall end here, but there will be much more to write in the coming days, if only I have the time.
