mathom

Before Dema left Brokenborings to begin her search for more Lost Mathoms she decided to find homes for the three she had already found at the picnic.

The sheet music was meaningless to her so she decided to bequeath it to someone who would be able to make use of it. The Inn that smelt of sheep had some windows high up in the hillside and Dema had heard music coming from one of these windows on the many occasions that she had been sat in the bough of the large Oak that grew nearby. Creeping across the roof line Dema tucked the scroll into one of the many window boxes.

It was late evening when Druda passed through the large gates of Caras Galadhon several days later than she had planed due to her stay with the Elven hunters in the Forest. The many lanterns and lamps were already lit and Elves were approaching the same gates from every direction. Many of them bowed as Druda passed and Druda replied with a polite nod of her head. With her pony safely stabled and bedded down Druda was led to her lodgings so that she could wash and change.

The road that led ran out of Moria and into the Realm of Lothlorien wound through a narrow valley following the route of the river. Amongst the many craggy nooks Orcs had made their crude camps and fortified them with large palisades of roughly hewn wood. From their hiding places they would ambush the few travellers that made the journey, mainly Dwarves collecting wood for the ongoing repairs in the city of Khazad-Dum.

Whilst she waited for the preparations for her journey Druda went in search of Bilbo Baggins, who had been living at Rivendell since his departure from the Shire. Druda had been privileged enough to meet him on several occasions in the past and he always seemed pleased to see another Hobbit and was keen for any news from The Shire. Druda found Bilbo in his usual seat overlooking the gardens. It seemed as though he had heard of her journey because he had with him a small package which her gave to Druda. Inside the package there was a richly decorated bag of burglar’s tools.

Druda had enjoyed many days in the Valley of Imladris, listening to the music, song and stories, riding her pony through the glades and relaxing in its beauty. Her thoughts had once again returned to the necklace in her room.  She removed the box from its place on the shelf and eased open the lid, the necklace shimmered in the light but there was also a new radiance to it that had not been present in Bree, a translucent blue sheen now played across its surface. It must have been a trick of the light.

It had taken Druda many days to journey from Bree to the Valley of Imladris but the weariness soon evaporated as she turned the corner to gaze down into the valley below. Beyond the lofty pines that covered both sides of the valley lay the exquisite gardens of Rivendell. Druda made her way down the meandering path to the valley floor. As she approached the bottom of the steep slope the noise of the river began to intensify and she could at last see small groups of Elves at work tending to the gardens.

Druda awoke early and quickly packed her belongings, making sure the small wooden box containing the recovered necklace was buried safely at the bottom of her pack. Entry and exit from Bree was controlled by the four large gates in the towns’ wall. Druda was keen to keep a low profile following the events in the Prancing Pony the previous night so had decided to leave via a slightly different route. Her rooms in the Mudgate district of Bree had been chosen carefully.

Mathom Hunting in Bree.

Things had been very quiet of late for Gormbard, he had not found any real work as such but he got by. He had earned a little bit of money here and there for food and by selling any interesting items that he could find. He had managed to find an abandoned burrow in which to live, it was by no means a comfortable burrow but at least it kept out the wind and rain. He had found an old bench in the overgrown garden and dragged it in so at least he had somewhere to sit.