To Rûndis, my Moonlight,
We have had some interesting last few days. As you know, a short while ago we arrived in Rivendell, our last stop before leaving the Caravan towards Eregion. We were all very excited to set off on this last leg of our journey, especially young Kharsi. That boy’s enthusiasm is almost overwhelming!
The Elves of Imladris have been very welcoming. In addition to Felaforn’s wondrous gifts, we have been delighted by the marvels of Elven cuisine! They fall short to Dwarven cooking (and to yours even more so), but it is the thought that counts! However, this old stomach of mine is not as strong as it once was, and I paid for it dearly. I hadn’t been that sick in years, and I was forced to stay behind while the others left. Garfi stayed behind with me, and I wrote a small note for Kharsi explaining the situation.
Fortunately, the morning after their departure I was feeling much better. Just as we were getting ready to follow in their steps, I heard her. Narali had come back for us, and was playing one of her tunes to make herself known. And imagine our surprise when we found Braudin by her side! It turned out that Garfi and I weren’t the only ones who had stayed behind.
We had an interesting conversation on the way. Braudin and I had a small discussion over which among the two of us were older. Garfi and I are twins, as you surely remember — oh, what fun we had teasing you when we were younger! —, so Narali was the youngest by far, that much was clear. Just as we decided to keep it a mystery, a stray comment about the Exile from Erebor confirmed that Braudin indeed had the oldest beard, if only by a few years. He was, as he put it, but a wee lad when that happened. I wonder how he looked like back then!
In any case, we finally managed to get on the path. After getting lost more times than I would care to admit — and accidentally sliding off a particularly slippery ridge — we found our way out of those damned woods. I admit the Trollshaws were an interesting change of scenery, but Braudin agreed with me that Dwarves had no business in the woods! Elves are better suited for that. At least the Moon looked pretty.
At last, after a long journey, the Hollin Gate was in sight. The fresh air that came down from the Misty Mountains made Braudin feel a century younger, or so he claimed. Still too many trees around for our liking, but being so close to our ancestral home definitely lifted our spirits. Narali, in particular, could barely contain her excitement. The girl has an interesting relationships with rocks, even for a Dwarf, so I can only imagine how the prospect of delving inside Durin’s Mountain might make her heart burn with anticipation.
The sun had almost set when we arrived at the camp at Echad Eregion. I could immediately tell Kharsi had been there not long ago, as the lingering fragrance of his socks still filled the otherwise fresh air. None of them were around, having probably left to scout ahead or admire the view of the Mountains. We took our chance to rest, since Narali had woken up very early that morning to catch us in time for our late departure.
My shoulder was still stiff from that slip earlier in the morning. I must have hit something on my way down, I thought, but Garfi made a shocking discovery. She found instead the marks of a stab wound, made with a small but sharp blade. Her more concerning suspicions, were far, far darker. The lack of proper healing around it and the burns that surrounded it could only mean one thing — orc poison. My appetite was not to blame for our delay, for I had been attacked and poisoned, most surely while I was napping by myself after one of our meals in Rivendell! Thankfully, Narali was able to prepare some remedies to heal what damage it was still doing, but that was the least of my worries.
We could not believe what we were seeing. It could not have been an Orc, since it was not like them to sneak about, and even then they surely would have been spotted if they had dared to approach Elrond’s home. Surely no Elf would have inflicted this wound upon me, either, since the Elves of Imladris have been friends to Dwarf-kind for ages, and they most definitely would never have anything to do with orcs! Could we have been followed by an enemy in disguise?
Braudin said the words none of us dared speak — what if the attack came from within our Company? I refused to pay heed to such ideas, for I would never doubt any of our friends. Narali would hear none of this, either, but the more Braudin spoke, the more it felt like a possibility.
That posed an additional challenge. Would we share our findings with the rest? Would it be wise for the group to be on the lookout, while warning the culprit that we are onto them? After all, they could all be innocent, and this was indeed done by an outsider, but how could we know? How can we know, even now? Bah, I have always hated treachery. Cowards! They know they’d stand no chance if they had to face my axe, so they must hide in the shadows!
We have decided to stay silent, at least for now. Only Garfi, Braudin, Narali and I know. When the rest get back, we have decided to tell Eldanith, since Elves can be trusted — at least on these matters —, as well as Frimsi, since he is our Uzbad and, most importantly, our friend. Of course, I am also telling Kharsi. We all know he is my son in all but name, and I’d trust the lad with my life. In fact, I already have, many times over, so I know in my heart that he would never do something like this. Not to me, and not to anyone!
I’m at a loss, my Moonlight. If only I had you by my side, I am sure you would know just what to do. But, alas, no matter how much I tell you, I cannot hear your answer.
I miss you,
Your Thrarfi.
