The sun was shining over her head, and Lusseriel had left the city to go ride for a bit, careful of her surrounding, to stop at a place she deemed safe enough, where she started to pick up a few plants she thought could be useful in the future.
She wanted a break from staying in human city and had just the perfect excuse in the form of plant gathering. Once she had a handful of the plants, she cleaned the cuttings in the nearest riverbed, and then put it in the grass to dry for a bit.
When she was done, she sat against a tree and picked up her journal. She re-read her last journal entry and grimaced.
“We’ve lived some interestingly awkward moments since our little… Discussion with Brunnadan. Though it actually all went better than I expected. For one, Ardirien was still there come morning and Brunnadan came back quickly as well without us having to look for him.
He kept his distances since then but quite frankly, all things considered, I prefer it so…
We explained everything to master Rolegard and Andrahir, that way everyone works with the same information.
But funny thing, our far too friendly hobbit told me that I “really should stop upsetting people”.
For one Ilthirian was right there with me, so…
For a second… Not even in dream. It's far too useful when people aren't my patients.
Even if I told him that I’d take that under consideration.
I mean… That’s really not a conversation that would be worth the effort. Master Rolegard is far, far too cheerful and trusting, there’s just no point in me explaining my point of view on that one. we’re unable to understand each other’s opinion on the matter. I prefer to avoid sterile conversations that can only have the one unwanted outcome.
In any case, having a serious conversation about subjects like magic, ancient oaths, Valar and the powers that serve them, and other pesky things like resurrections with a very cheerful hobbit is an exercise that I hope I’ll never have to do again. He’s baffling at the best of time, I found myself entirely out of my depth here.
I vote for dutyfully avoiding the Shire from now on and forever if there’s more beings like him in there.
But, they are right on a point, Ardirien and master Rolegard I mean.
So I went and apologized to Brunnadan for the distress our discussion and my pushing created. Not for having said conversation in the first place, mind you, but I tend to try to avoid apologizing for things I don’t actually regret so…
Brunnadan nodded in answer so I took it as a “he’ll take that under consideration one day”. Which works for me, quite frankly.
And the drama being over, we went on our way toward Snowbourn, and stopped by Wyrgende’s Stone. Another stories of curses that I frankly have no will to write here.
I will however note that we were attacked at the stone, and that stopping there in the first place was a bad idea.
But we survived, obviously or I wouldn’t be writing in that notebook, and got to Snowbourn. Another human city, one that looked pretty well fortified.
We ended up in the local tavern to spend the night, or well, my peers… Most of my companions that is, spent the night in the tavern, I went outside myself and I believe that Brunnadan did the same.
Apparently Rolegard, Andrahir and Ilthirian appreciated the place.
I really don’t know why. Too many drunken humans in a closed space don’t fill me with confidence in anything.
In any case, in the morning we gathered together again, and spoke to Eomer. He asked us to speak to another man in order to discover why Fastred disobeyed him.
I had my doubts on the matter, but the funny thing was when master Rolegard said: “Maybe Miss Lusseriel could deathly stare this Grimstan into talking.”
If only that was a universal answer… or a thing that actually ever worked…
Andrahir looked amused but stopped himself from laughing, for some reason. I don’t actually bite and I never killed or maimed an ally.
But ah, if I’m that terrifying now…
Is it bad to find it actually funny?
We started to move, but Ilthirian found herself face to face with a dwarf, one “Hosgrim Ironbeard, son of Gilaim, of the clan of Longbeards of the Grey Mountains, Orc-foe, Goblin-hewer, Seeker of True-Silver, and ale brewer of great reputation”
How does Ilthirian do to find the most unlikely people in the most surprising places?
At this point it must be a gift I think.
They both had an… Interesting conversation that made me try and fail to imagine Ilthirian with an actual beard.
The wonder of speaking with dwarves…
Master Hosgrim was friendly but not too friendly so there’s that. For once we met someone that wasn’t too suspicious… And Ilthirian even managed to not invite him to join our merry band of travelers. I was duly impressed by her restraint there.
But in the end he left to try and find the party of orcs he was hunting in the first place, and we went to speak to that man, Grimstan or something similar, to ask why haven’t they evacuated the city.
Just to hear the man say that “Snowbourn will not retreat”.
I heard that one before.
Let’s just say people putting too much stock in their fortified cities always end up having surprises.
But he’s right. It’s indeed the people’s choice to fight where they stand or accept the potential of exile and displacement. To fight for an unlikely chance to keep their lands and belongings, or to flee with their lives and lose everything.
Sometimes it’s better to risk it all, life included.
Sometimes it’s better to drop everything, grab partner and child(ren) and run.
I can’t say which is better in this case, but Grimstan is right, it’s their choice to make. Not the choice of a leader who lives somewhere else and may not care in the end if they lose everything and end up condemning their families to being beggars in someone else’s land.
Andrahir said that there was a better solution and everyone could go to Helm’s deep.
I beg to differ, if all of Rohan leaves their cities and villages to find shelter in Helm’s deep. Even if everyone comes with their supplies…
If the enemy lay siege around the fortress, how long before famine sets? Before illnesses spread and people start dying?
Let’s be honest, anyone wanting to take Helm’s Deep just has to be patient and keep the men from leaving the place. No need for attack. Just need for time.
If the opposing leader is patient, that place is a deathtrap of epic proportion. That kind of place is only a good shelter if the opposing army is trying to attack and take it over. Thick walls have their use but they also have their limits. With enough imagination and tactics, thick walls are nothing.
But again, it's not our choice to make so the conversation cut rather short.
Anyway, we reported our conversation to Eomer who seems set in his view, and sent us to attack orcs to retrieve the evidence we could find of weapons and fire-pots. Just in case seeing it would make a difference to the Reeve.
And so we did…
Which won’t change a thing if the people are decided to stay and we would probably be better served helping them prepare instead, but whatever, I’m not the one making the decisions here.
Eomer then asked us then to help train and prepare the people of the city if they wanted to stay here so much.
Some of us looked enthusiastic at the idea.
I was definitively not.
And well, I’m pretty convinced that the choice of staying or leaving should belong to the people, not us, but if Eomer absolutely wanted everyone to escape that badly… I’m pretty sure that starting a fire in a key corner of the city would empty it fast.
I’m also pretty sure I shouldn’t repeat that anywhere near master Rolegard. He’s baffling at the best of time, I don’t need to see his reactions to my, admittedly, bad ideas.”
Lusseriel laughed at herself at that.
Master Rolegard, worst nightmare of a loyal feanorian follower. Who knew?
Seeing the sun advance in the sky, she separated the plants in two piles. One she put in a jar with what oil she had managed to buy in Snowbourn, and the rest she separated and put to dry in her journal. Once that done, she put everything back in her backpack and rode back to the city.
