Lusseriel was sitting barefoot and cross-legged under the lights in Cerin Amroth, thinking, her journal in her laps, her bag next to her, and her eyes on the stars above.
Chewing on a piece of flavourful wood, she finally shook herself and turned her eyes to her notebook and scribbled the date in a corner of the page.
"I want to say I'm delighted to be out of the Moria, but in effect, I'm far, far happier about the fact that Threnduil went to far more competent healers.
On the way, through Nanduhirion Wyck thanked me for my help with his injuries. That was... Unexpected but nice of him. I mean, I was a healer once upon a time, so it's normal that I help when I can if there's no other, more competent healer around. There was really no need for thanks.
More so since I'd be happier if he saw a more competent healer too. Alas I can hardly push him in the arms of elven healers the same way I did Threnduil.
We sort of separated yesterday evening and gathered again this morning in Haldir's talan. Candath was apparently waiting for news of his herald and also for news of our errands apparently.
I must admit I wasn't very impressed that he put his need for information on our errand above news of his herald, but I guess I can understand that. Many times I had to prioritize my duty above my personal wishes too. And if I'm totally honest, only the fact that Threnduil had ended up in my care made me frown at that order of priorities.
I really have no stone to throw here.
Before we received the summon from lady Galadriel, alas, Candath decided he wanted to see Threnduil. It seems that Tindollion took offence at what we discovered from Threnduil in the Moria.
It's true that if the bruises really come from Candath and the rest is true too then it'd be abuse pure and simple, however... I haven't known them, either of them long enough to be able to cast that kind of judgement on the situation.
Facts : I know Threnduil was bruised, I know what he said, I know he acted cowed until Candath left and he became more outgoing with us after... But I also saw from my own eyes that he's clumsy, as I already noted in my last entry, he managed to have his sword fall off doing Valar only know what, and his stories and attitude toward anyone he sees as pretty is pretty much... Hilarious to see but reeking of a sort of inexperience that's rather... Dangerous.
Going by that, I can as well imagine a master abusing a subordinate as I can imagine a master being a bit harsh to ensure said clumsy subordinate's survival. Whichever it is, I have no clue as of yet.
And as I know all too well the harm that casting a hasty judgement can do, I'm not about to fall into this trap.
Also, Andrahir and Wyck seem to think everything is fine and as they are humans here and more used to interact with other humans and they've known Candath and Threnduil the longest I think I'll trust their judgement on the matter, at least until I can make mine, if we stay together long enough for that.
Tindollion noted she planned to see Threnduil after we see lady Galadriel, the same way Candath said he wanted to see his herald. Neither of them considered that perhaps it would be unwise or to seek a healer's approval first.
They were both lucky that Threnduil was allowed visitors and was allowed to leave by the healers or so help me if they had insisted against the healer's advice, they'd have gotten herbs in their wine for their trouble, both of them! I know of enough herbs to keep them sick until they learn to respect healers. That job is already hard and annoying enough without people disregarding them and their patients.
Actually I do believe it's one of the reasons why I'm not made to be a healer."
Lusseriel snorted at that. No, she really wasn't made to heal others if she was contemplating poisoning people.
"Ah, I'm dreaming: I wouldn't have done it even if they had insisted. Probably. Maybe. I think."
She smirked at that and shook her head. Well, being a healer taught her a lot after all, even if she had actually used herbs to make them sick they wouldn't have died from it. Probably.
Good thing she never kept all that many herbs in reserve, though perhaps she should consider getting more just in case. Not to poison anyone, but at least to keep handy healing herbs at hand while she was travelling with this group. They seemed to attract more bad luck than herself had in close to 3000 years as a messenger travelling alone all year round. It was ridiculous. Proof was, her way into the Moria was calm and relatively safe until she met them...
She looked up at the stars above with a slight sigh. Surely it couldn't count as HER bad life choices if it was THEIR bad luck right? Hm... That was something to think about at least.
Deep in thought, she absentmindedly drew on her notebook the outline of a plant known to have some interesting and quite unappreciated side effects on people who had the interesting idea to eat it.
She snorted when she realised and amused herself a few moments imagining the reaction of the rest of the company if they knew she had been thinking of making them fall sick if their persisted in being bull-headed against healer's advice... Well, she perhaps should hope they never learnt of that one.
"On another note altogether, we met Galadriel. She saw us one by one. When my turn came, we discussed Mithrandir and she... ah, invited me to look into her mirror. I must say it's not an experience I appreciated. I saw something of Mithrandir's fate in the Moria and I am unsure whether or not I should hope for his survival. Surviving is sometimes more a curse than dying, that much I've learnt over the years.
And then after that the mirror showed me something concerning myself. However I cannot make head nor tail of what I saw, and as Galadriel warned me that the Mirror, and here I quote "shows many things, and not all of them may come to pass", I'm not going to even bother trying to understand that. If one day it pass and I understand it, good I suppose, if not then at least I won't have lost my time for nothing.
Also while I was at it, I managed to catch someone to tell me where I could find the recipient of the letter I carry... Of course not in Caras Galadhon, what was I thinking! Yes of course he was here, only he's not here anymore, no.
Because in all his wisdom, he apparently decided to try to go to Mirkwood.
Yes, that Mirkwood. Dark, spider infested, plagued by orcs and whatnot and dominated by Dol Guldur.
The self-preservation instinct of some people leaves somewhat to be desired.
Once we all gathered again and stopped bickering about whether or not Threnduil was being abused by Candath and whether Threnduil needed urgent rescuing (a problem that we can't resolve here and now anyway, there's literally no proof and until we actually see something ourselves there's nothing to be done so...), we were invited to go to Cerin Amroth.
Apparently there were there people who'd enjoy meeting some members of our company.
I went with them more by lack of other options than anything else.
The message I carried was rather personal and not an emergency, but I was still honour bound to deliver it, and yet going to Mirkwood didn't appeal to me at all.
On the other hand I was told that in a little while an expedition would be going to Mirkwood so I could join them then and have relative help and safety to cross over, or I could find my own way now on my own. Because I was thinking there's nothing better than to swim across the river. Of course.
Either way nothing would be resolved today so...
I went with the rest of the company. And saw in the Golden Wood a man, a group of Halflings (what even are they?), and a dwarf to top that off. And here I thought Lothlorien was a rather closed off realm.
Some from our company seemed to know them and they seemed happy to know each other.
On the other hand... One of the Halfling made me greatly uneasy. There's this sense of... Of darkness around him... I was rather glad to leave them there and go for a walk around the place. Those who stayed around him are far braver than I am. After getting out of the Moria, I had no will to stay around someone giving off that kind of darkness.
Anyway, Cerin Amroth is a rather beautiful place.
At one point when evening fell I joined the company again around a fire, and met another. An elf named Tirnelion.
I took to inspect my harp since I haven't used it in some times and travelling attached to my backpack can be hell on a musical instrument and... Yes, I had to clean up the sound box properly and I had to re-string it when one string snapped on my hand and another threatened to follow suit.
That stings!
But at least I still had spare sets of strings on me to change those.
Next time I should pick up a flute. It's easier to transport, lighter and easier to clean up.
I'll admit I stayed a bit apart from the conversation. I used my instrument as a distraction from my current problem but I gave my attention back to my companions when Candath said something I'd qualify as stupid: "I vow that one day we will do to their fortresses, what they did to Gondolin of old. I will not return to the west, until it is done."
Seriously, I know he lived in Gondolin and not in the direct vicinity of us ill advised feanorians, but he's an elf, for the love of... Has he learnt nothing of the past? Vows and oaths can be the bane of anyone's existence! Can't he be more careful of his words?! He'll end up accidentally taken by an oath he never intended to really pass one day if he keeps that up!
Tirnelion noted that an oath could strengthen a heart of break it, which is very true, only in those lands, in my experience, it'll sooner break a heart than strengthen it.
Those things are serious matter and should be given due consideration before being actually spoken out loud.
And that's when I learnt that Tirnelion too is from Gondolin. Dear Eru, I do hope neither Tirnelion nor Candath were at Sirion or knew anyone at Sirion that died in the attack. That'd make things... Awkward.
To speak mildly.
Candath asked for some music and I was glad to provide. I haven't played in too long.
What use is an instrument that's kept silent? And more to the point, what was the use of an instrument kept by a wanderer if said wanderer never used it?"
Lusseriel couldn't help but snort at that. She knew someone who might have had words with her for that one. Her mother had been far more organised than herself and anything that hasn't been used in months and wasn't "in case of emergency" would have found itself abandoned fast.
Good thing that Lusseriel could argue that when she didn't have any message to bear she lived off of said instrument or she'd have difficulties to defend her choice here.
Not that carrying a harp on her back atop her backpack was heavy, unbalanced and unpractical compared to say, a lute or a flute or something similar but... Yes, it was, just a bit.
Not that there wasn't anyone left to actually have that conversation with her anytime soon.
She closed her notebook sharply when that thought came to her, drawing from it a sound that made her think one moment she may have woken up those of her companions sleeping nearby, but finally, seeing no one move and hearing no-one speak up, she relaxed and put notebook, ink and pen back in her bag...
Before she decided she couldn't sleep.
She picked up her harp and her backpack and careful not to wake up her sleeping companions, she walked, still barefoot, farther away, in the general direction of the river, and as she walked, she started to pull on the strings of her harp, humming alongside it.
A lynx hissed at her passing, but she paid it no head and it ran away and disappeared into the bushes.
