After her evening surprise, and seeing to the horse some again in the morning, Adriellyn finally made it home again a bit before noon. She sat down to write a bit more for her collection of journal pages, to add to those she was leaving with Cesistya during her trip south with Leoffrith and Beoda.
I kinda skipped over some things in what I last wrote, about things I learned while living with Cwynbur and Andrelanor. At least, I think I did – I don't still have that bit of writing with me to check. Anyways, Cwyn was taking care of all the surviving horses they'd managed to bring up with them, which was quite a few. At least it was by what I knew. She had eight, and was fixing to breed more. I learned a little about that, and a lot about riding, because of her.
Andrelanor turned out to be in the field in a lot of the same places I was, and sometimes we'd work together. And when we were both at home, she'd teach me things. More on languages, not that you can tell it from my Westron, and a lot of both history and music-making. That especially started up when she caught me trying to make good sounds with her old lute one afternoon, but she's taught me a fair number of instruments, at least to be passing with them.
Anyways, Cwyn was more interested in learning Westron and Sindarin than in teaching me Rohirric, and the same with Wendy after I took up with her. The little bit I knew before Mister Leoffrith started teaching me some, though, I got from Wendy and some of her other friends, like Wrenaya and Beno. That wasn't much, though, because they also wanted to be speaking Westron while so far north – and I wasn't around them all that much, anyways.
Wendy and Mel had their own projects out in the wilds, so there were times we didn't see each other for several weeks at a stretch. We made up for it as best we could when we were home together, of course, but I have to wonder if that bothered her more than she let on. At least, I wonder that now.
And that's because, after a couple of years that way, and with so many other folks moving on, or just… well, vanishing, for all I could tell… I came home, and the place was… wrong. Something was off about it even before I let myself inside – and she was gone. I mean, some of her things were still there, but not the important ones. It looked like she'd taken what fit on her horse, and left the rest behind.
Of course, I kept the house up for a while, hoping she'd come back – but it's been four more years now, just about. Not that I kept the house that long. I got feeling sorry for myself after a while, and moved out, living from the back of my own horse. I spent so much time out in the wilds that it just seemed to make more sense that way.
While around civilised lands – so to speak – I'd still visit the concerts and dances and such, trying to keep in touch with the few people I knew who were still around. At one point, there was this lass making eyes at me, and she got my hopes up, enough to get me to go off with her for a while. She dumped me the next day, though, for another girl… well. I can't write about that. Thinking on the details hurts too much, even now.
The end result of all that, though, is why I don't really have any hope for romance. Not any more. I'm not sure if it's really all that I'm so bad a partner, or what – but I know it hurts. And so does being lonely and seeing other people having more luck that way.
And part of that is why I have to go south with Mister Leoffrith. It isn't just that he could probably use more help than just that horse, though Kestrel is probably more help to him than even I will be if it comes to fighting. It's because I have to find out whether one bit of hope regarding Wendy is right, or just me being foolish.
Maybe she went home, I mean. And if she did, maybe she meant for me to follow, but since her writing wasn't much better than mine, maybe she didn't leave a note. And from what I've been hearing of troubles on the roads between there and here, maybe any letter back just never made it here.
So, besides everything else, including Andrelanor's insistence that I see Dol Amroth and report back to her what the humans have done with it, I have to look for Wendy in Langhold. That's where she was from, and maybe it's where she is now. And if not – well, I don't know what I'll do or think. I reckon I shouldn't try too hard to figure on that until I see what I find there. But trying to get some kind of answer is why I have to go.
The small woman let the ink dry as she cleaned up her writing supplies and changed clothes. She then took it with her as she made her way out into town for food and errands.
