Kizár Elená Durin · @SilmarilNaro
18th Mar 2015 from TwitLonger
Quest-verse: Crossing the Shire.
After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sktifm
Meeting Rangers on the border of the Shire, and some talk after.
@SilmarilNaro @SilmarilAndrast @Valandhir
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Kizár
They had another journey north-westward, after leaving Ost-In-Edhil, that much like the trek from Erebor had been relatively calm. The plains of Minhiriath were mostly peaceful and empty and they reached the Sarn Ford within a few days.
It was however at the ford where they ran into some minor problem, in the form of Rangers who thought it wise to question why three Elves were traveling in the company of a couple of dwarves and a Man whose skin-tone was very Eastern.
"And here I thought the Dúnedain had better things to do than make a pest of themselves to Elves heading west!" Kizár quipped to her sister, who in turn was careful staying between the Rangers and Telpë, who she was sharing her horse with. The state of his health was something they were all very protective about, and he was coping best when he stayed close to one of his aunts.
The quip however did manage to reach the ear of the more officious of the Rangers. "When they travel with such strange companions..." his eye immediately turned towards Shangraile, indicating that his features had not gone unnoticed. "I would question even the Lady of Lothlórien about entering the Shire."
Kizár's eyes widened and she broke into laughter, glancing Lossanárë's way, waving to her sister as she tried to stifle her giggles. Lossanárë picked up for her, having managed to hold back laughing at the absurd comment than Kizár had. "And we mean as little harm to the goodfolk of the Shire as Lady Galadriel would, our companion included, however if you really intend to be obstructive of my passage to visit my sister in the north, I am sure the Lady of Himring would be glad to raise the issue with Lord Elrond and you current chieftain about how you questioned our ability to judge who is trustworthy and who is not."
The way her sister delivered that reminded Kizár strongly of the way the Ternya of Gwaren was so likened to her infamous grandfather for how well she could intimidate people when she wished. The more aggressive Ranger wilted under her harsh gaze and the threat to bring up their conduct with the leaders who had the most influence over their people.
The quieter Ranger frowned. "It will be worth more than our lives if we let past someone who would do harm to the peace of the Shire." Kizár had to give him credit for not backing down so easily.
"Why would we wish to disturb the Shire?" Lossanárë responded. "Has there been a great history of Elven travelers causing trouble for the hobbits? If anything, we are much the same as any other party heading for the Grey Havens, with as little wish to disturb those we pass by."
The Ranger studied each of them with narrowed eyes. "I will concede then, though if your companions do cause problems expect to meet with more Rangers." He stated in clipped tones.
"That is acceptable," Lossanárë nodded. "If you remain concerned, feel free to send a message to Rivendell about our passage. Lord Elrond is already aware we were intending to head north as we are now."
The Ranger gave her a nod and prompted his horse to step aside, letting them move on again.
"Well that was refreshing," Kizár said, as they got beyond hearing range. "I knew the Dúnedain could be suspicious as anything, but I thought that was more towards the mortal races... but to question Eldar for having companions with them? I have no idea why they would suddenly turn that much more hostile."
"If they have changed suddenly... has someone told them to keep watch?" Lossanárë followed up her sister's statements. "The one thing that has really changed is the events around Erebor, but maybe I do not know the situation here in Eriador well, so I really do not know how the lack of dwarves would affect the Shire, except maybe secondhand trade."
"That is about it, the Shire will trade with Bree, and Bree has been more or less tolerant of dwarves coming through for trade, but the dwarves of Cardemir have always been careful to not disturb the Shire hobbits too much." Kizár nodded.
"Well we best keep moving, the quicker we get through Shire lands, the faster we leave behind tetchy Rangers."
Kíli
Kíli had watched the entire exchange quietly, content with letting Elenaria take the lead on this - she and her Lady sister had a much easier time in getting their way than he would. He knew that he attracted as much suspicion from the Rangers as Shangraile - Ciaran - did. When the Rangers finally let them pass and Lossanárë asking about the effects the leaving of the dwarves would have, he shook his head.
"It is not quit as easy as this," he replied towards Kizár. "while Cardemir tried to not disturb the Shire unduly, a good number of our ironwork - from pots to scythes - was traded to the Shire, as well as refined iron for their own people to make tools from. I imagine good steel will become as rare a commodity again as it was before we came here. And... our presence, our fighters, held many of the darker things from the lone lands at bay, as we would not let them come too close to our home as well. Without that the Shire might see a few Orc raiders by next winter." He tried to speak calmly, to make it sound just like facts. Only he could not quite. Many an Orc who would have endangered the peaceful folk had been slain by the despised dwarves in the wilderness.
"As for the Rangers - they probably were as distrustful about me as they were about Ciaran. They never trust anyone who falls in with the *wandering pack*, no matter the race."
Lossanárë
"So a prejudice against wanderers in general? Including traders?" Lossanárë frowned. "They must be very insular if they cannot even trust traders, or was it some prejudice against the dwarves for losing Erebor?"
Kíli
"It was not a prejudice against wanderers but against the displaced dwarves," Kíli explained, remembering that Lady Lossanárë could not know about this. "they disliked it when we came North more than a century ago, and they felt we were impeaching on their land when we founded settlements outside Cardemir. They disliked our coming and going and generally saw us as the scum of the earth. Coming from a race that's been failing at even building a decent city in 800 years that's somewhat rich, but we swiftly learned to keep our heads down and let them believe themselves our betters." Kíli could not quite hold a sharp edge out of his voice, it was a sore topic with him, and if not for his wonderful sister Kizár, he might have felt even harder about them. "And they have no Chieftain as of now. Belakan is still standing in for that role. Their last Chieftain Arathorn managed to get himself killed in the slaughter up at Ghenjarai's Wells."
Kizár
Something teased in the back of Kizár's mind as she heard the name Arathorn and she shook her head as if it would help her remember. Oh she knew the name well enough from the past years and hearing Thorin grumble about the Dúnedain...
"Dúnedain..." She murmured the word for the Arnorian remnants. "I think he left behind a son, but where the boy would be... though Elrond has a history of protecting children of that family." She could not help be a bit amused that her Other Self knew by reputation things here in Eriador.
Kíli
Kizár's reaction drew Kíli from his grim musings, he had seen her react like that a number of times now, and knew it had to do with something of her memories. "He had a wife - Gilraen daughter of Dirhael, up from Coldfane Heights. I should hope he had the sense not to take wife and child to the meeting at the Wells." Kíli replied. "She may have gone back to her family, after he fell. Coldfane Heights is not much - they really should fortify it - but they held out against the Orcs so far."
Kizár
Kizár nodded as Kíli spoke. "I do not have any details, as Elennárë only knew of him a good few decades after the fact, but in her world a son of the line of chieftains spent a short time in Gondor, under an assumed name. The son of the Steward at the time, Turgon's grandson, found out his identity and Elennárë knew it via Boromir... but Rivendell is only a guess, and the boy would still be only a child right now," she shrugged.
Kíli
"If he still is a child, then Rivendell might the best hope for him." Kíli replied, much as he did dislike the Dundedain, he would not wish ill on a child. And Rivendell was a much safer place than any other in the lone lands. "Though what you say sounds... complicated enough." he squeezed Kizár's hand. "Do her memories give you trouble?"
Kizár
"Not really," Kizár said as she shook her head. "I sometimes have odd little instances when I am reminded of something she knew about, things where it crosses our lives, but barring that I know a lot about Gondor now, and I have a hint of how badly the quest could have gone..." She offered Kíli an easy smile. "I am coping with them for the moment. I might worry the closer we get to the year she was living in, but by then I might cope even better with them."
Kíli
"That should be a good few decades ahead yet," Kíli replied. He had seen his other self - or maybe a reflection of whom he might have become, and he had been distinctly older in that echo. And different... in a way he could not yet quite explain. "If you need any help..." he said to Kizár, he could do little enough for her, but he would try.
Kizár
Kizár nodded to the offer. "I will. I know she had a lot less time to heal than I have. It is something I am sorting through." She let her eyes look over the land ahead. No obvious farms were to be seen yet, so she had to guess they had not hit the Bounds yet, where the hobbit patrols kept their own watch.
Kíli
Kíli saw her gaze ahead, remembering that while she had been with him many times he had crossed these borders, she had not seen it the way she did now. "We might want to leave the road, follow the path through the hills. The Hobbits prefer strange folk to *not* be seen around. Abide by that and they will most likely leave us alone." he said.
Ciaran arched an eyebrow. "Will they not be more suspicious if we move by hidden paths?"
Kíli chuckled. "Not hidden paths, Ciaran, just the path through the hills instead of the road. The Shire folk are very down to earth, and to them the world outside the Shire barely exists. And they appreciate it very much if the unseen stays just that."
Kizár
"We learned quite a bit about them on the way to Erebor, Bilbo was not at all adverse to explaining Shire culture for those who were willing to listen properly, and the Shire is a fair bit different in attitudes than the Breelander Hobbits, since Bree is a shared town with Menfolk." Kizár smiled fondly about the hobbit who had come with them. "I know Bilbo said we were welcome to drop by if we were passing through, but I do not know whether it is a wise idea right now."
Kíli
"I am not sure either," Kíli said. "his return will have caused a stir, not to mention the gold he brought back. In Shire terms even the very modest amount we could talk him into is quite a bit." Kíli wondered how their friend was, and yet he did not wish to make things more difficult for Bilbo. Especially as Bilbo also had been very fond of Thorin - considering him a friend still and might feel torn about the whole situation. "I think we should evade Hobbiton entirely, go more west and slip past Michel Delving before turning towards the White Towers."
Kizár
"Yes, that does sound like the best course for now." Kizár agreed. "If we do visit him, best leave it for some time later, as I expect we will be back this way at some point even after the coronation."
Kíli
"We could drag him along for the coronation;" Kíli suggested, his eyes sparkling. "he is one of the company, he should be there."
Kizár
That prompted giggles in Kizár. "Well I suppose when start out for Erebor that Hobbiton is not far off the track east, if we plan for it."
Kíli
Kíli grinned at her. "This time we will write a letter beforehand, so he has a chance to pack everything he needs, including handkerchiefs." He liked the idea, though it would be a while off yet, depending on how fast the resettling went. A coronation should happen within the next five years though.
Kizár
"Yes, I think that would suit him a bit better." Kizár contemplated the future trip a little. A few years that it might take before the coronation would certainly give her time to spend with both of her sisters, as well as Cáno, and to get to know the other Elves on Himling.
A cheeky thought came to mind. "Maybe Bilbo could help us translate that song the miner's caste liked so much. For some reason I think there are some of the folk who will be in Erebor who would like it. Bofur for instance I can completely see merrily singing ~'I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole'~" She switched into Thedosian Trade - a language that had it's origins in Dwarven - to sing a snatch of the silly song the Orzammar miners sang both for amusement and to put a bug in the ear of stuck-up nobles.
Kíli
"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone
Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home..."
Kíli joined her song, laughing. "The problem is that Bilbo does not speak any Khuzdul, but maybe we could rope your brother Cáno into the translation? His Elegy on the Fall of Azaghâl is beautiful in both tongues and still appreciated among my people."
Kizár
"Hmm... that is possible, I guess we will have to see when we get to the island. We should have a bit of time to work it out anyway." The idea of Cáno helping with a translation of that song sounded fun, as he had a quiet but effective sense of humour that sometimes cropping up in his songs. Kizár glanced towards Lossanárë, who understood the song through her own time in Thedas. She had negotiated support from the dwarves during her war on Tevinter, and the swordsmith who had been willing to collaborate with her on her sword had been a dwarf who should have been named a Paragon for that sword alone.
Kíli
Kíli saw them exchange glances, and he could tell that they were thinking of memories, of Thedas. Their memories of that land were far more complex than his own - his own encompassed one lifetime spend in Thedas - one lifetime cut short by many years due to his being a Grey Warden. Their lives had shaped Thedas in many ways- Andraste had toppled Tevinter and created many of the beliefs people followed, and in their incarnation as Elenaria and Lady of Gwaren they had shaped Thedas future even more.
Kíli would not want to miss his own life there, the first half of Kélan's life had been the fight for survival in dust-town, the second part had begun he had met Elenaria. Strange... when he had planned to ingratiate himself to her, it had been mainly for his sister, who was the mother of that bastard Belhen's child, and if Belhen lost the throne, she'd be in danger again, as the mother of his son. Little had he known how deeply Elenaria would change him... he smiled at the memory. He would not want to miss the sisters from his life... and he hoped they would find the third one up on that lone island.