Cinammon Raymaker
As she passes overhead, Elwing sees the warrior dwarves looking upwards, and she remembers Aztryd's words: "They would know a message bird when they see one." This spurs her to move faster towards the stronghold for which she is still searching. "Well, at the very least I am heading in the right direction!" she thinks to herself.
Without warning, she sees the faint outline of what looks like a fortified village ahead, starting outside the mountain, that looks a lot like Mount Dolmed which she remembers from her younger days. It ends in the solid rock just on the southern face she is approaching. Elwing slows her flight and looks carefully for a place inside the compound where she might land without doing damage to herself and those below her, who are now gathering. Below, tiny figures look across the range at the movement outside the stronghold. Seeing a small haystack near a sheltered corner, she dives to catch one last current and holds her wings still to glide over the gates and walls, reaching ever lower. At the last moment, she shimmers, rolls and lands on her feet in the middle of the haystack, hoping this will not unduly scare the now-gathering horde of dwarves. Staying low she looks around, hoping to find cover but senses the approach of two dwarf maidens pointing at her with a look of incredulity on their faces. They stay at a distance but raise the alarm. A larger group of dwarves joins them to surround Elwing, though not in any menacing way. The look of puzzlement on their faces allows Elwing to relax and smile.
"Greetings to all in this stronghold of Lord Ulreg in Gamilfûn. I am Elwing, Sindarin princess of the line of Elu Thingol, recently flown in from Alqualonde, the home of my Uncle King Olwe. I have come in search of Azagak, the grandmother of Aztryd. I bear urgent news from her granddaughter's own hand." Taking the letter from its hiding place in her clothing, Elwing holds up the precious message waiting for someone to approach and take it from her grasp.
"How came ye by such a message?" asked a gruff voice from the crowd surrounding her.
"Aztryd herself bade me deliver it to Azagak. She took a sea passage to escape her husband who has dealt badly with her and her child Nizl. I am sure the whole story will be told within this message, to the one for whom it is meant. I should also alert you that a band of warriors is beating a track in this direction. Aztryd warned me such might be the case: for this reason I hurried to you before they could arrive in order to share this message, as much depends on it."
At that a wisened old dwarf woman pushed through the crowd around Elwing and proudly bowed her head.
"Greetings Princess. I am Azagak, grammy of Aztryd, and now a great grammy too! Is my Aztryd treated well? Is my great granddaughter safe?" She beams at Elwing as she reaches out her hand to receive the precious message from her granddaughter.
"Indeed, Azagak, she is among friends, and the child is well also. It seems Aztryd has a talent for finding her way as well as the fortitude to withstand all she is dealt - as many mothers do!" Elwing smiles and nods respectfully to the dwarf matron, handing her the message and awaiting her response. Azagak unrolls the parchment and scans through the words thereon, scowling and muttering to herself as she reads the words her granddaughter has penned.
In the meantime, the band of dwarf warriors have reached the gates of the stronghold. The sound of hammers banging at the gate and yells for passage are beginning to to be heard within the compound. Azagak angrily looks up from her reading.
"That old bear has treated Aztryd very badly. 'Tis my bet he has come for the return of his bride price. Well, he will get a piece of my mind and will take no gold nor silver home with him this day!" With this Azagak storms off into the stronghold where she finds Lord Ulreg. She explains to him the predicament of her granddaughter and great granddaughter and the noise at the gates. Lord Ulreg quickly dons his helmet as he is already wearing his armour and storms to the ladder which takes him to the battlements of the stockade. Looking down at the band of warriors below him he bellows, "How dare ye show your faces here in such a way? I hear news that Azagak's granddaughter has been badly treated by one you call 'leader.' A true leader does not mistreat his wife and child to the extent that they run away from home, take passage on a sailing ship and seek the help of elvenkind! Leave this place now and never return!"
"I hearby renounce the marriage made to a wife who dares to desert me! I demand repayment of the bride price!" yells the angry husband of Aztryd.
"That you will not receive!" replies Lord Ulreg. "Be gone before I break the treaty we have put in place!"
Down below the battlements, the members of the band of warrior dwarves think better of trying to breach the gates to the stronghold and quickly talk their agitated leader into returning home, dignity intact. As the group of dwarves leaves, the surly faced husband of Aztryd shakes his fist and calls out, "I again renounce this farce of a marriage due to lack of a bride!"
Azagak retorts "Aye! And we renounce any connection with you as part of our family!" She rejoins Elwing. "Come, Princess, come warm yourself by the fire and tell me more of my granddaughter and her child!" Elwing follows Azagak across the compound and into the dark cavernous mountainside, expecting to have to bend to refrain from banging her head on the rock. But with great surprise, she sees the enormous size of the cave opening and the tunnels into which the stronghold of Gamilfûn is carved. Remembering the home of her own great grandparents, and how she had walked the echoing halls and tunnels in safety, she feels quite at home in this place and anticipates with pleasure spending some time recuperating here for her flight back to Alqualonde.
> Next
Without warning, she sees the faint outline of what looks like a fortified village ahead, starting outside the mountain, that looks a lot like Mount Dolmed which she remembers from her younger days. It ends in the solid rock just on the southern face she is approaching. Elwing slows her flight and looks carefully for a place inside the compound where she might land without doing damage to herself and those below her, who are now gathering. Below, tiny figures look across the range at the movement outside the stronghold. Seeing a small haystack near a sheltered corner, she dives to catch one last current and holds her wings still to glide over the gates and walls, reaching ever lower. At the last moment, she shimmers, rolls and lands on her feet in the middle of the haystack, hoping this will not unduly scare the now-gathering horde of dwarves. Staying low she looks around, hoping to find cover but senses the approach of two dwarf maidens pointing at her with a look of incredulity on their faces. They stay at a distance but raise the alarm. A larger group of dwarves joins them to surround Elwing, though not in any menacing way. The look of puzzlement on their faces allows Elwing to relax and smile.
"Greetings to all in this stronghold of Lord Ulreg in Gamilfûn. I am Elwing, Sindarin princess of the line of Elu Thingol, recently flown in from Alqualonde, the home of my Uncle King Olwe. I have come in search of Azagak, the grandmother of Aztryd. I bear urgent news from her granddaughter's own hand." Taking the letter from its hiding place in her clothing, Elwing holds up the precious message waiting for someone to approach and take it from her grasp.
"How came ye by such a message?" asked a gruff voice from the crowd surrounding her.
"Aztryd herself bade me deliver it to Azagak. She took a sea passage to escape her husband who has dealt badly with her and her child Nizl. I am sure the whole story will be told within this message, to the one for whom it is meant. I should also alert you that a band of warriors is beating a track in this direction. Aztryd warned me such might be the case: for this reason I hurried to you before they could arrive in order to share this message, as much depends on it."
At that a wisened old dwarf woman pushed through the crowd around Elwing and proudly bowed her head.
"Greetings Princess. I am Azagak, grammy of Aztryd, and now a great grammy too! Is my Aztryd treated well? Is my great granddaughter safe?" She beams at Elwing as she reaches out her hand to receive the precious message from her granddaughter.
"Indeed, Azagak, she is among friends, and the child is well also. It seems Aztryd has a talent for finding her way as well as the fortitude to withstand all she is dealt - as many mothers do!" Elwing smiles and nods respectfully to the dwarf matron, handing her the message and awaiting her response. Azagak unrolls the parchment and scans through the words thereon, scowling and muttering to herself as she reads the words her granddaughter has penned.
In the meantime, the band of dwarf warriors have reached the gates of the stronghold. The sound of hammers banging at the gate and yells for passage are beginning to to be heard within the compound. Azagak angrily looks up from her reading.
"That old bear has treated Aztryd very badly. 'Tis my bet he has come for the return of his bride price. Well, he will get a piece of my mind and will take no gold nor silver home with him this day!" With this Azagak storms off into the stronghold where she finds Lord Ulreg. She explains to him the predicament of her granddaughter and great granddaughter and the noise at the gates. Lord Ulreg quickly dons his helmet as he is already wearing his armour and storms to the ladder which takes him to the battlements of the stockade. Looking down at the band of warriors below him he bellows, "How dare ye show your faces here in such a way? I hear news that Azagak's granddaughter has been badly treated by one you call 'leader.' A true leader does not mistreat his wife and child to the extent that they run away from home, take passage on a sailing ship and seek the help of elvenkind! Leave this place now and never return!"
"I hearby renounce the marriage made to a wife who dares to desert me! I demand repayment of the bride price!" yells the angry husband of Aztryd.
"That you will not receive!" replies Lord Ulreg. "Be gone before I break the treaty we have put in place!"
Down below the battlements, the members of the band of warrior dwarves think better of trying to breach the gates to the stronghold and quickly talk their agitated leader into returning home, dignity intact. As the group of dwarves leaves, the surly faced husband of Aztryd shakes his fist and calls out, "I again renounce this farce of a marriage due to lack of a bride!"
Azagak retorts "Aye! And we renounce any connection with you as part of our family!" She rejoins Elwing. "Come, Princess, come warm yourself by the fire and tell me more of my granddaughter and her child!" Elwing follows Azagak across the compound and into the dark cavernous mountainside, expecting to have to bend to refrain from banging her head on the rock. But with great surprise, she sees the enormous size of the cave opening and the tunnels into which the stronghold of Gamilfûn is carved. Remembering the home of her own great grandparents, and how she had walked the echoing halls and tunnels in safety, she feels quite at home in this place and anticipates with pleasure spending some time recuperating here for her flight back to Alqualonde.
> Next