Rivendell

Naurdam strode across the courtyard to his waiting steed. He had spent the past few months within the valley of Imladris and he was keen to be out on the road once more. He had visited the Halls of Lord Elrond on only a handful of previous occasions since their creation and on this most recent trip it had proven hard to mask his displeasure at finding the Halls open to not only the race of man but to the race of Dwarves also.

      The pen skitters off the table and rolls across the floor, coming to a rest barely an inch from where Maltariel sits on the sill, looking out of the window at the dawn. She looks up at the sound, uncurling lithely to pick it up and walk slowly across the room, eyes on me as she holds it out. I grimace apologetically, pushing the ruined piece of parchment towards her as she drops into a chair opposite me.

Summer has arrived and the Vale is as glorious as it can be, I can see Amorith ‘pottering’ in and amongst the flower beds, Anur warms the Vale and I observe many Eldar peacefully passing by, this day seems perfectly serene.

A man clad in grey offered aid to the mead company, he wore a hood and very rarely removed it. He was of a mysterious kind and he had born a star upon his breast. Folk around Bree knew these men as 'Rangers'. However this 'Ranger' had given the company no true name and they began to know him as 'Archer'.