Company is resting deep in the forest in a chilling afternoon in September, Mirkwood.
It was Galdorion's eighth day in the patrol. He did end up here despite the ruling of his own house and traditions, and even the tears of his beloved Rainith. The latter had more devastating an effect then he could ever imagine, but in his mind what he was doing was righteous.
According to his own promise to Rainith, he should have returned the day earlier but the situation worsened in the camp out of blue three days ago. Dol Guldur forces had produced a renewed assault from the south eastern sector to the tip of the Malledhrim breakthrough and have shifted a force at least three hundred strong, unnoticed to the rear of the four Malledhrim companies. In a bitter crossfire and dwindling of supplies, also cut off from the main expedition host, Malledhrims continued to struggle.
As the order of rest was given, Galdorion lied down and tried to see the clouds among the dying greyish pines, sighed. Beyond this dying and corrupted forest, the beauty and calmness of the sky helped him to set his thoughts straight. He thought maybe back at home, she is looking at the same sky as well. Then he collected his hands at he back of his head and chewed a pine sting on as he was thinking deeply.
Then he heard the voice of the captain. And there was little love between each other. Malledhrim captain Andalad was a brave soldier with decent leadership and calmness (and hair to Galdorion's thought) but this was also coming with a fair deal of bitterness and obsession. Like all commanders he was idealistic and less tolerant to flaws in his regiment. On the second day he and captain exchanged some words and Galdorion had to chew some of the statements himself. Looking at his sideways, Galdorion heard Andalad was adressing to some troops to bolster morale and he shaked his head looking back to the clouds. Then he noticed that someone was poking to his knee.
Raising a little he noticed one of the young (not younger than G himself) Galadhrims removing his backpack to sit next to Galdorion. Name was Carmacil, He smiled in return and made a welcoming gesture. Then Carmacil said:
-"Come on! Lets do this thing again! Whole regiment dies to see once more!"
-"No!" cried Galdorion shaking his head sideways. -"You would have my head chopped off in the end"
-"Please!" said Carmacil, -"Boys need a bit of entertainment to fight better! Who knows if they can see it again under these conditions"
Galdorion did not readily answer that, since he knew that was true. However the thing the boy wanted... What if they were caught by someone senior, or worse, distraction could lead the company be ambushed by the orcs.
-"Very well, in the next rest I will, but don't call more than three or you attract unwanted attention" said Galdorion.
-"Yay" added Carmacil before bailing out in joy.
And the rest of the day went uneventful, Goblins were surely out there but keeping their positions for a more favourable attack. So as Galdorion's company awaiting relief and they did not move one inch either. The whole skirmish was in a stalemate for the time being.
As the order of rest was given again, Three elves accompanied Galdorion with a hint of smirk in their faces. And they found a hidden pit. There Galdorion urged him to be silent and reached to his backpack and he revealed three little statuettes made of local ingredients, leaves, clay and something else. All three was made in total likeness of a Malledhrim scouts and one had more shiny golden leaves attached on his shoulders, indicating the figure's rank.
Galdorion set them on their feet since he devised a cunning system to add joints and bone like structures to their making and therefore his statuettes were capable of performing humanoid movements. They could be bent, they could sit, stand and move arms and hands when utilized so. Then he started a bizarre show used his own skills in ventriloquism and speech distortion.
-"Did I not say not to wear that thing on your head Nirda!" the commander statue spoke. Galdorion was shaking its right hand in a warning pose. This made three Malledhrim soldiers giggle in the pit, started deeply enjoying the show.
-"Yesh sir you did sir" the less detailed clay figure replied. It was touching to his head with a clay right hand demonstrating a funny salutation. This made the elves laugh. Since this second statue was modeled after Nirdamir one of the most loyal Malledhrims in the company.
-"IF I see a tiara on your head once more I will unscrew that head and attach a trunk there" The commander figure added shaking both arms into the air in a madness demonstration, making Carmacil collapsed onto the ground, he was laughing and holding his belly to breathe easier. For the Galadhrims the show was truly innovative and much different than the ordinary oratory of the elvendom. The figure acting was born deep behind enemy lines!
-"What the hell?!" the commander figure added. All three elves in the pit returned their attention to the clay figures in expectation and amazingly looked at Galdorion. That was a brilliant skill in ventriloquism since he managed to imitate the voice of Captain Andalad almost perfectly.
And Galdorion looked at the rest of his friends since he thought there was another ventriloque in the pit. The performance was surely not his.
-"What the hell I said!" the voice dominated them, and turning their heads upwards they saw Captain Andalad in full size, not made of clay and leaves, but of elven flesh and fiery anger. And they bowed down their heads, standing up. Then Galdorion spoke:
-"This my lord, an art that we devised to keep morale up"
-"Keeping morale up by ridiculing your comrades?" Captain asked.
-"No my lord, to set a virtual reality of events which would be very humorous and unlikely to happen in the normal flow of our time, as the time passes we can help our fallen comrades to be remembered in this art" Galdorion replied.
-"They did not fall to be ridiculed in your freak shows Goldie" the Captain shouted. -"Dismissed now" he said. -"I will see all three of you once we are out of here"
As the captain went away, they started laughing after a moment of silence.
-"Goldie!" now that is a funny name. Carmacil said laughing. Others followed him too.
Galdorion sighed. And did not smile.
