{ Being an entry by Lancogard North-took into his Life-book }
THE PLOUGH & STARS, BROCKENBORINGS, Northfarthing, on this the 24th day of Rethe:
Yet another sad duty which I wished I hadn't needed to perform, has been concluded.
After the unnatural wintry weather had finally cleared and things started to turn to spring again, I was greeted four days ago, just after elevenses, by the now-familiar shriek of an approaching eagle flying from the west out of the Elf-country. After a few moments, the bird I now know as Windwalker alighted on the stone curb, to the gasps of amazement of several onlooking hobbits. I saw that he was bearing a bulging pouch on his talon, which could only mean one thing: Her Ladyship had sent me a letter. I opened the pouch, and here is what I found:
Seregrían to her beloved friend Lancogard, greeting:
My current errand brings me close by to your haunts in the Northfarthing. I should like to call upon you at your place of duty in the hamlet of Brockenborings two days hence. I would ask of you a boon, which I shall explain further once we meet. Until then, Lance...
Lady S
The date on the letter meant that she would arrive today! Dashing indoors to find a quill, I scribbled a reply on the back of the letter, rolled it tight and stuffed it back into Windwalker's pouch and I swear, the bird watched me with amusement:
Your Ladyship:
You shall find me at the Plough & Stars in Brockenborings, where all courtesy and welcome shall be yours!
Lance
"Windwalker, take this letter to Her Ladyship, fast as can be," I said, and then remembering the formula in Elvish, "Sûlpadron, ego i Seregrían! GWILO!" And the eagle took to the sky, with a by-now crowd of hobbits gawking at my seeming command of a ruddy great eagle delivering my post!
Later that same day, just as dusk was beginning to gather, I was keeping a kind of watch over the roads from my perch above town hole. Off to the west towards Overhill, I spied what I was watching for: a horse and rider were slowly making their way into town - even at this distance, I could tell both were all in all in red. Folks seemed to stop what they were doing as the rider passed and turned up the hill to the Plough. And there I saw her: Lady Seregrían, astride her horse Jester, his harness bells jingling with every step, both clad in scarlet, she sporting her black hat. I made the most courtly bow I could manage as she alighted from the saddle.
"Welcome, Your Ladyship, to Brockenborings!" I said grandly. "Always a delight to see you once more!" A gaggle of hobbits watched as Seregrían strode toward me, doffing her hat and shaking loose her black hair, her Elven ears and features plain for all to see (I'm pretty certain she did that for dramatic flair...).
"Lancogard, my dear friend," she said in that husky voice of hers, holding her hand out for me to take. "I thank you for agreeing to see me here. Shall we talk, you and I?"
"That we shall, Your Ladyship," I replied. "Come inside and be welcome - I arranged a traveler's supper for you, good plain hobbit fare, they way you enjoy it!" As we entered the tavern, all talk stopped dead as I walked in with an Elven-lady at my arm - that will give the locals something to chew over for weeks to come, and that I will enjoy immensely.
Seregrían and I set to a decent supper, but for our talk flowing here and there around pleasantries, I could feel there was something wrong. And then, she revealed the true reason for her arrival in the Shire, and I didn't like it one bit. Her face became stony, and her eyes vacant. She reached inside her jacket and shirt, and showed a necklace - with two rings riding upon her neck, over her heart. And I knew those rings, and what exactly they meant.
"Take me to Him," was all she said.
"Your Ladyship, you can't mean that. Is it really necessary?"
"You know it is. I must see Him."
"Bainiel, no, it will only hurt you, open the wound again!"
"Lance. Bring me there. Please." It was her eyes: those bright silver eyes, pain and longing in them, shining with unwept tears. I broke down and decided.
Not an hour later, as the Sun had settled behind the western hills and the waxing Moon was shining bright, we stood on a rise overlooking the town from the west. There before us was a patch of ground easily seen as turned earth but not recently, part covered by new growth.
"We gave him what we could, Bainiel. The town elders wouldn't have the Big Folk with hobbits; but I insisted on this. Here, he can still watch over the Shire, just as he did on... his last mission."
Seregrían sank to one knee, looking at her betrothed's grave at last. There in the gathering night, the tears she hid finally came: a soft hiccupping weeping, scarcely heard in the night. My heart ached for her. I gently laid one hand on her shoulder, and I could feel her sobbing wracking her to the bone, silent as it was. Such iron control she always has, even over herself in her grief. The tears lasted for what seemed an hour or more, and then she looked up and away, off into the distance. When she looked at me again, her eyes were still bright, but the tears were gone.
"Lance. Dear little Lance, thank you. You always keep your word, your oaths, and for that you shall always have my love. I know you would have kept me from this, if only to spare me pain. But you must understand, I needed to see with my own eyes. I know he is truly gone. Now I am alone"
"You'll never be alone, Bainiel, not while I'm on the case. There are too many now who love you in return, and I'm front of the line in that point. Now, let me show you more of what awaits you. Over in that town there is light, and doings, and chance-meetings and news. Let me share that with you, and see you smile again."
I held out my hand to her and she took it, and kissed it, holding it over her heart. She rose to her full height, still holding my hand.
"Lead on, little Shirriff. Show me the light and the life you would share." I think we both smiled as we walked, hand in hand, back down the hill to the tavern.
