Nelnardis took a long mouthful from the bottle of wine. She was sitting on the grass behind her house in Imladris. Not bothering to replace the cork, she set down the green bottle, focusing her attention on the journal on her lap.
It had been a few days since the messenger had arrived at her front door with a scroll in hand bearing the seal of The Warband. Something unusually official. A small smile had formed as she slid her finger under the wax, excited as to what it could be. An important letter for the Sil Maethor?
“What is this?” she asked the dark haired elf in the blue robes.
He shook his head, having no information. Well, of course – such an important document would not dare be told to a simple courier. Allowing him leave, she closed the door and took a seat by the fireplace. No flames were lit, as it was so warm that day. The coolness of inside was refreshing.
Unravelling the scroll, she narrowed her eyes at the flamboyant script. It was hardly three sentences.
To members of the Warband,
The Warband of Imladris is hereby disbanded, effective immediately. All members are relieved of duty and released from their Oaths. All former members have the gratitude of myself and Imladris for their years of service.
Elrond Halfelven
Nelnardis stared blankly at the parchment. This had to be a mistake – a trick of some kind? There was no way…
But there was. The official seal and signature of Lord Elrond himself. This was genuine.
Her eyes drifted away from the scroll and to the fireplace. Why was the fire not lit? Nelnardis found her hand automatically screwing up the scroll, and then she looked down to see what she had done and unscrewed it again to read it several more times.
All members are relieved of duty and released from their Oaths.
Twice she had stood before Lord Khalis and Lady Elisbeth. Twice she had sworn to protect the weak and defeat the evil, to always hold honour to The Warband. To defend Imladris, to serve Elrond, to fight not only for herself but for her allies… The list could go on. How many times – how many times had she forsaken her own desires for The Warband? Returning to the vale whilst darkness still haunted her home. And staying behind when Ebbephant rode West without a goodbye or being allowed to ride after him? If she had known then she would be released from her duties to The Warband of Imladris…
All former members have the gratitude of myself and Imladris for their years of service. Gratitude. She did not care for riches and gold, but Nelnardis had hoped for a bit more than a few words on a letter. What happened to living and dying for The Warband? What happened to the rest of her existence being devoted to the cause?
They had accomplished so much – were they just not needed anymore? Not good enough anymore? Perhaps another order was forming, a larger and more dangerous one? She certainly had not heard a word of it.
What would she do now? Where would she go?
Quickly, tears began to spill down her cheeks, blurring her vision of the letter. She screwed up the crumpled parchment once more and threw it into the ashes of the fireplace. Grabbing some logs and kindling she lit the fire, furiously wiping away her tears so she could watch the flames consume the scroll. Almost as if it had never happened.
Another swig from the bottle, Nelnardis turned the page in her journal. She was re-reading a few pages of notes she had taken whilst on patrols in the vale. There was nothing special in particular, just a few things she thought were worth noting, such as the wild deer in the Southern Trollshaws, and a sketch of a Wood Troll. Then there were notes about training and how effective certain poisons were on different beasts and creatures.
It was an interesting flavour in the wine. Not one she preferred, but she had long since stopped caring about the taste. She had long since stopped drinking out of a goblet as well. What did it matter if there was no Warband to look good for?
Nelnardis hadn’t seen anyone since the messenger apart from Lilleduil and Thendryt the previous evening. Lilleduil had said they were still “sword sisters”, but she wasn’t sure if that was true. As Nelnardis had told her that night, they were no longer oath-bound, only friendship held them together now. Even then, that might not last forever.
She had been asked to keep an eye on Thendryt. Apparently he had started “influencing people”, though any kind of danger or trouble surrounding Thendryt was old news. Rumours spread and she had heard things about him when she cared to listen.
Nelnardis closed the journal in her lap and laid back on the grass to stare up at the light blue sky. What did it matter what Thendryt was doing? He was released from his oath, just like they all had been. He is free to do as he likes, she had told him, just as long as he remembered who the enemy really was. “Petty arguments are for children.”
She still needed to concern herself with her own situation. What would she do now? Where would she go?
The hiril sighed, closing her eyes to the world. For now, the only answer she could give was to drink her wine cellar.
