Ealfin paced around at the stable of Aldburg, his legs restless and his mind the same, for the arrival of our mutual friend Cwendur and his horse Fale had put us both on edge. We had a mission to complete, on direct order by lord Tiubar. A large shipment of undisclosed worth and size was to be transported from Floodwend to Grimslade. A tall order and a lengthy journey at the best of times, while not escorting heavy work-horses towing slow carts behind them. I had said my goodbyes to Yllfa upon the morning before I left, and Ethel I left undisturbed in her bed, for she was used to my comings and goings over the years, but this was the first time me and Yllfa would be parted like this. It grieved my heart that she would have to grow accustomed to this as well sooner or later, for such is the price of oaths to those who speak them, and sometimes that price applies to the ones you love most as well. I knew they'd both be safe at the hands of lady Mearhe, however - a fine woman she is, courteous and generous, a true lady of Rohan. We left Aldburg together, Cwendur and I, and we rode swiftly to Floodwend with only one stop in Faldham to rest our horses. When we finally arrived upon the next morning, the preparations were already underway. A couple of carts with thick, grey canvas covers stood there waiting, and Ehris was there too, overseeing the loading of seemingly very heavy iron chests, securely locked with bulky chains. This had to be something more than mere wood and hides, I thought. Ehris noticed our arrival and waved me over. It had been months since we saw each other last, when me and Yllfa took Ethel from Floodwend in search of a better life for her, and yet we greeted each other as if not a day had passed since then.
We retired to his chambers and there lady Tiubar joined us for a short while, and we spoke at lengths of what had transpired lately; of the naive and poorly written letters that Ethel had happily written to her, what our life is like outside Edoras, and how things had been in Floodwend. Ehris and I spoke of the dangers we had faced in our respective places; of the dunlending that threatened my family and nearly took my life that day, how Yllfa’s horse had been stolen by the dunlending and later returned by Duncadda, and we spoke of the increasing numbers of roaming orcs, goblins and wargs in the Wold, and there were rumours that an attack on Floodwend was again imminent, but so far they had been kept at bay. To see such a small and seemingly unimportant town often fall under such heavy threats would be strange to many, but for those who knew better, this small town was also a symbol of the Mark in itself, for very near the town, King Eorl the Young had fallen all those years ago, and his monument stood there still and will do so for many years to come. Our talk of everything and nothing continued through the morning and did not end until long after lunch time, and we shared a meal together in his chambers in somber conditions. In better times that would’ve been a fairly enjoyable meal with an old friend and employer, but then the talk turned serious again.
- “The shipment you’re escorting,” Ehris said after swallowing a piece of grilled venison, “is not to be taken lightly. It is of utmost importance that it arrives safely. You will not ride alone nor with a small escort, for I will also send fifteen heavily armed riders with you.”
- “Fifteen riders?”, I asked questioningly and eyed Ehris with a curious gaze while I took a drink from my mead. “It must be very valuable indeed, if you want me to lead so many through the Mark, at this time of year.”
Ehris looked back at me with cold eyes, nearly void of emotion in that moment. His white hair was still thick, unlike my own, and it glittered like snow in the candlelight, even though he was my senior by at least ten years. He gave me a nod and took forward a parchment written in the common tongue and signed with dwarven runes, much like those I failed to read when our deal with the ones from Durin’s Folk was being made, and I understood what it was about then. Ehris locked eyes with me and spoke once again. His voice was soft and quiet, but also demanding and lordly.
- “This is why I want YOU to deliver this to Grimslade, Waelden. It was you who brought this deal to light, and you will see it through. The dwarves who mine in the East Wall are swift workers and they have already crafted a first load of weapons, shields, steel ingots and other things for us. Rohirric design, dwarven craftsmanship. Extremely durable and valuable, and this first shipment is designated for further distribution to a few of the most renowned riders in the westemnet while the rest will go to their armory, and the next larger shipment will go to Edoras once it’s ready. I have already outfitted our own armory with a few weapons as per the agreement, and the dwarves left something for you personally.”
I swallowed and looked back at Ehris as he picked up a leather-wrapped bundle that rested against his desk, and he put it on the table. I slowly unwrapped the thin leather cover, and recalled that the dwarves had indeed promised me a weapon when the deal had been made. Inside I found a finely carved bearded axe, adorned with the image of a horse’s head and knotwork scattered upon the steel. The haft was made of smooth, durable ash that had been thoroughly waxed and sported a leather-wrapped, comfortable grip. I picked up the axe and held it in my hand for a few moments, to feel its weight and balance. It was excellent in every way… a formidable weapon, that could easily lop off heads and logs alike where needed. The dwarves know indeed how to craft weapons of both beauty and deadly functionality. I wrapped it again and nodded to Ehris. His face was still like that of stone, as is his usual manner in serious business.
- “You’re leaving tonight under the cover of darkness, and you will not take the regular roads where it can be avoided. The enemy have already tried to intercept the dwarves’ transports from their mine to here; they know we are about to transport something valuable now, and they shall not lay a single, dirty, black fingernail upon this shipment. Such is the order from the Marshals, and from me. Is that understood?”
I rose from my chair and bowed my head to Ehris, my lord and employer, the one I had sworn my oath to many years ago just like my father did, and I held the wrapped axe in my hand. My path was set before me, my oaths upheld, and my duty clear.
- “It will be done, my lord.”, I answered and left his chambers, walking out with a light but proud feeling in my feet. The rest of the day was spent preparing; sharpening our weapons, oiling our chainmail, and speaking to the riders who would follow me for this mission. Fifteen in number they were, all experienced and battle-hardened, and most of them I had ridden with many times before. We spoke of old battles and scars, of family and loved ones, and of how much ale we’d drink once we arrived at Grimslade. Our spirits were merry and ready, and it did not take long until darkness fell, and it was time to be on our way. Our cavalcade stood there ready to depart by the gates of Floodwend, and my thoughts wandered for a moment. I thought of Yllfa and Ethel, my family and my home, and wondered when I would see them again. I gazed out over the mist-filled plains, and in the shadows of the looming dusk I suddenly felt like something was watching us… one of my men called out to alert us others; “Ware the wolf!”, he spoke out loud, and the man raised his spear. My eyes swiftly went to the place he was pointing his steel-tipped spear at, and there I saw it: upon a nearby hill, a pair of silver-grey eyes glistened like a pair of gemstones, and the well-known contour of a wolf appeared from the mist, and it just sat there watching us in silence. The light and shadows changed as the wolf tilted its head, and I thought I saw a glint of blue in its eyes, and it seemed to me like I knew them and wanted to gaze longer into those very eyes, but they were so far away and yet so near, as if I could lay a hand on the wolf’s head if I wanted to, but still could never reach: that feeling of being close to a creature in a dream that you just cannot touch, even though you know it’s there. For a moment I locked my eyes with the wolf, and offered a knowing grin to it, which was perhaps more of a smile, and I motioned for my men to calm down.
- “Lay down that spear. The wolf is no threat to us. Quite the opposite, I’m sure.”, I said to the men. The wolf raised its head and let out a bone-chilling howl, but to my ears it was more like music than anything else, and then it disappeared into the mist again as if it had never been there in the first place, like something out of a dream we had all seen in our waking hours.
Dream or not, I knew… She was there; watching us, watching me. She, the wolf of my dreams.
