I do not know where to start. At the first glance Daegond might have been strange, crude and even mean to a person who did not know him, but he had more than meets the eye. Profound loyalty to those he protects. The reasons why he was behaving the way he did. A softer side which the Noldorin (or any) warrior tries so hard to hide under their shell of steel.
All I have in my mind are the scenes of meeting him.
The first time I met him he sniffed me, in his houndish manner – he always had a very good nose. "You smell like Elloen." he said. No wonder, we are related and he had met him before me.
One time there was music and dancing in the Hall of Fire. To my surprise he asked me for a dance, and I nodded. The dance was slow and each time we passed each other I raised my hand to meet his for a clap in the air. Somehow he always missed and slapped his own forehead instead. I smiled, not because of his less than refined moves, but because he went for it. I already knew that each battle hardened warrior had a heart for lighter moments. I had again seen a glimpse of it. I thanked him after the dance was over.
Much later, we encountered an Elf who was speaking ill about Lady Galadriel. It stung my heart because I had served her for many years and I have nothing but respect and reverence for her. I said nothing, not wanting to cause a scene because my Lady is always very composed, even while debating. But Daegond did accuse him and very loudly. My eyes widened in witnessing his words. Perhaps I should have said something, because Daegond doing so felt very good to me.
There was crabs in our annual Ball once. He became sad when he heard that, because in his youth he ate bugs to survive, and he likened crabs to them. I started to understand what he has been through.
Then there is Lady Manadhlaer, my friend and the widow of Daegond's brother in oath, Themodir. Daegond shunned her at first, but after the marriage the note of his tone changed, and there was nothing that he would deny her. Likewise, she swore to protect him. To lose both Themodir and Daegond must be crushing, and I need to find her.
And I also need to find something else. The last time we saw him, save for his shirt lace and boot prints in Eregion later, was when he was escorting my parents from Rivendell to Lindon as they were moving there from Lothlórien. I have exchanged letters with my parents since then and my mother has told a story about something that she crafted in the Forsaken Inn in Lone-Lands. They were disguised with false names and Daegond took the name Alice – all his idea, she told me.
She also made some plainer clothes for the travel through Bree-land for a better disguise. Among them was a leather belt, plain and sturdy. She gave it to my father first, for his robe. Later after we were attacked by the brigands in the Bree-lands woods he took it off and offered it to Daegond, intending to offer something for staunching the bleeding. But Daegond used it for something else; he bit into it in the house of Iarwain Ben-Adar while Manadhlaer was stitching him, with nothing to numb the ache.
The belt has not been found but I hope my parents might still have it. It's a memory of his service, the last time when any of us saw him. I wish there was a way to get it back to the Valley swiftly for the funeral. I am sure my father wouldn't oppose giving it to him again, as a sign that none of us have forgotten his service. His days of pain and bleeding are over.
Perhaps I'll talk to Elloen, on whether he and his eagle Ainalcar know the way.
