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Quenta Roqueni, Book OneAn Adventure in Middle-earth

By Vincent Roiron and Lowell R. Matthews

With Gavin Carey, Woodrow H. Kroll III, George Photopoulos,

Trevor Sanders, and Christian Wirtnik

Copyright 1999

Chapter VI: Kirdan's Inn Quest

Kirdan remained in the unsavoury inn as his companions left on their owntasks. Rising from the table, he made his way to the innkeeper. "Excuseme, sir," Kirdan said, coughing first to get the innkeeper's attention. "Ishall have need to settle accounts with you and to gather up thebelongings of my companions." There was no need to leave his lord'sbelongings or the things of the others in this pigsty of an inn any longer.

The innkeeper looked at Kirdan with a pitiful air, but Kirdan felt somecontempt and loathing in the man. Kirdan sent him an unsympatheticglance, paid the three coppers the man asked, and moved to gather up allthe gear of his companions. He distributed it among the horses, which hewould have to take to new lodgings. He made sure the horses were notoverloaded and then took their reins into his hands and led them out ofthe stables and towards the Thalion. At its gates, he spoke to the sergeantposted there.

"Excuse me, sergeant," Kirdan began. "I am Kirdan, squire of Carangil Daacute;cilion. I seek to impose on you our horses and gear while I seek outlodgings here in town."

The sergeant glanced at Kirdan's livery, which bore Carangil's coat ofarms, and abruptly stood to attention. Unused to this kind of treatment,

Kirdan let pass some long heartbeats before he realised the man waswaiting for instructions. Perhaps any knight is a real noble here, thoughtKirdan. He certainly mistook my device for that of a true noble. "If yourmen could please help me, sergeant...." The guard platoon took charge ofthe horses and led them to the stable. Kirdan noticed that his master'sdestrier and the beautiful horse that was probably Elen aacute;rion's werealready inside. "Take care of them until I'm back, please. Do you knowwhere we can find a clean and fair inn in this town?"

"Of course, Sir, you should try the Blue Oak. Many merchants and evensome noblemen go there, when they don't stay here."

"May I ask where this Blue Oak Inn is located?" Kirdan inquired of thesergeant.

"Of course, Sir. The Blue Oak is in the southern part of the town, along theIant Formen [Northern Road], you cannot miss it! The place is a goodone, and the cook is the best fifty miles around!"

"Thank you, sergeant," Kirdan smiled as he thanked the man. "You andyour men have been most helpful." He then sought out this Blue Oak Inn,judging if it was the sort of place that would befit his lord. The Blue Oakwas obviously a cosy place, with rich velvet cushions on the woodenbenches, warm wood panelling and well-waxed furniture. The place wasclean, and a wonderful fragrance came from the kitchen. Kirdan thoughtthat the sergeant was probably right about the cook. There were a fewpatrons, obviously some rich merchants on their way along the NorthernRoad, discussing things of their trade with local clients. Satisfied by whathe saw, he stepped inside, glancing leisurely about at its patrons andworkers before stepping up to the innkeeper. The serving maids werecharming and obviously well treated, and welcomed him with genuinesmiles. The innkeeper, a kind chap with a potbelly, welcomed Kirdan:"What can I do for you, my Lord?"

"Good sir," Kirdan began, "I seek lodgings for myself and for my lord aswell. Do you have any vacant rooms?"

"Yes I do, as is most often the case so early in the morning, except duringthe trading fair. How many of you are you?"

"Well, I think a suite would be perfect, provided there are three good bedsand a room for a retinue of three. Of which I am, my good Sir, so don't callme my Lord. We also need accommodations for a half-dozen horses, andwe will have our dinner here. There are two lords among us and four whowill fare on a lighter meal. As for the lunch, I suppose we could have it

here also, otherwise I'd warn you in advance."

"I don't have so grand a suite that you would have three single bedrooms,but two of the suites on the second floor can communicate. You will havethree rooms and one for the retinue, and a resting room as well. Thatshould be perfect. How many nights do you intend to stay?"

Chapter VII: Knightly Ventures

Checking that Carangil was following him, Elen aacute;rion startedwalking towards the stables to get his horse. As always, a surge of prideoverwhelmed the young knight at the sight of the magnificent stallion."Did you sleep well, my boy?" he asked the horse with an affectionatevoice. "Get our horses ready," he ordered the stable hand. "We ride to theThalion."

"My, that's a handsome fellow," Carangil chuckled appreciatively. Heselected his own destrier for the occasion.

The two young nobles rode to the Thalion through the muddy streets, andsoon reached its gate. Elen aacute;rion announced them, and they wereimmediately ushered in. A sergeant came to meet them in the yard andasked for their business. He agreed to escort them to the lieutenant'soffice, located on the first floor of the palace. The place was rich still, butnot as well kept up as Elen aacute;rion would have believed the princelymint would be. He thought about the price of the mercenary army theprince had to maintain, and though he knew that some Houses ofArthedain grumbled about the duty asked by the King, he was convincedthat Arveleg and his predecessors had made the best choice by keeping theHouses under tight control. That was what had allowed Argeleb to nearlyreform the realm of Elendil some fifty years ago, until that fated day whenDunnish traitors had ambushed him, breaking the dream of a reunitedkingdom with the King's death. Still brooding in those dark thoughts, Elenaacute;rion entered the lieutenant's office.

The lieutenant was still young, no more than thirty-five years, with raven-dark hair, bright and intelligent eyes, and a warm smile. Not surprisingly,he was called Gailen, "bright eyes." "I hear you suffered a misfortunewhile staying at the Fattened Ewe. Will you please tell me your tale, mylords," he said while looking at Carangil and Elen aacute;rion.

Elen aacute;rion was surprised that the lieutenant knew nothing of theexact circumstances of the theft. "Did not the sergeant report the theft andmy intention to pay you this visit? This is strange. Anyway, it seems thatsomeone entered the room I was sharing with my two travelling

companions and relieved us of two purses and an amulet that is especiallydear to Sir Berek of the Beijabar. We have investigated the mattersomewhat and we have found out that there was only one thief, probablyone of those Dunmen as he left traces of that perfume those scum oftenuse." The lieutenant frowned at that. "It seems that he entered the innthrough the stables. Sir Carangil's Elven companion, Master Aeglorias ofthe Greenwood, followed the thief to a basement in the Dunnish slum.Unfortunately, the thief escaped."

"I am sorry, Elen aacute;rion, to have you repeat your tale, but though thesergeant reported the theft, I wanted to hear it from you. With eachtestimony, part of the tale disappears. I suppose that since you are prettysure that your burglar was a Dunlending, you want me to close theDunnish town and to search it, right?" asked Gailen with an obviouslypained air.

"From your reaction, Lieutenant," Carangil noted, "that would appear tobe something you would prefer to avoid. I think it might be excessive atthat, and could perhaps provoke unrest, even a riot. We are open tosuggestions, of course, but our best bet will probably be to try to find SirBerek's amulet by its unique nature." The lieutenant seemed obviouslyeased by Carangil's placatory words.

"Well, that was my initial plan," said Elen aacute;rion, "but I think wemight just be able to avoid that. Even as we speak, my companions areinvestigating the matter. In case we are left with no other option, however,your co-operation will be greatly appreciated."

"Before such dramatic measures are taken, perhaps we should try toarrange a meeting with Rogda, the village elder."

"That sounds like it could be a very good idea, Lieutenant," Carangilnodded. "I would be more than happy to meet with him."

"You must understand that move will be unofficial, and that you will haveto go there alone, even though I can offer you the courtesy of an escort.There is one thing you must understand, however. Those Daen are not likethe Hillmen of Rhudaur; they don't live the way we do, but they areneither wicked nor to be bullied lightly. They accepted to live with us, andthe..." he groped for the word, prince, though the word king was not farbehind, "Prince... granted them many rights."

"That's important to know," Carangil nodded seriously. "Thank you. Italso puts things in a different light, Elen aacute;rion. They could beconvinced to help us if we approach them correctly."

"I will send one of my men to see if you can meet them. Until he comesback, feel free to visit the public parts of the palace. The gardens areparticularly beautiful with the coming of the spring." Gailen stood andopened the door. A sergeant then escorted Carangil and Elen aacute;rionto the palace. He showed them the gallery on the first floor, which wasdecorated with busts of the former kings of Arnor and princes ofCardolan. They were also shown some beautiful but ageing mosaics andfrescoes, and then the sergeant led them to one of the most beautifulgardens either had ever seen. Even in far Ithilien, Carangil had seldomseen such a nice arrangement of flowers and plants, such a well-mergedrelationship between architecture and gardening. The sergeant left themin the southernmost corner of the garden, which was actually an orchard.Carangil and Elen aacute;rion helped themselves to some young fruits,and enjoyed the rest.

After a while, the sergeant came back, and asked them to follow him. Theywent back to the lieutenant's office, where Gailen explained that a meetingwith Rogda had been arranged. A young man obviously of mixed originsguided the two young D uacute;nedain into the Dunnish town. The fewinhabitants they met on the streets looked at them with indecipherableeyes, neither hostile nor friendly. They soon arrived at the western end ofthe town, where a building was built into the base of the tower that stoodabove the road. Their guide knocked on a wooden door, and a burly guardsoon answered the call. He ushered them in without a word, and led themto a big room, where a man sat at the end of a long wooden table, amongwhat appeared to be some elders and councillors. Two younger men, thetaller of which wore a dark-red beard and looked like a younger Rogda,guarded a familiar figure, for the young Jiff was obviously their prisoner.Elen aacute;rion and Carangil looked at him with perplexity, then Elenaacute;rion nearly spoke in anger but Carangil restrained him with a paton the arm in a placating gesture. Elen aacute;rion looked at Carangil, andthen nodded, well aware of the fact that his companion seemed more atease with social matters than he was. Swallowing anger, he calmeddown....

Chapter VIII: Hunting a Different Kind of Game

Meanwhile, Berek and Aeglorias crossed the streets and were soon atOget's door. They were ushered in by a very surprised guardian, and anumber of female heads soon appeared in the building's windows,chatting in excited tones. Aeglorias requested entry in the tone of a manobviously used to being obeyed, and they were soon in a shady restingroom, where the women soon arrived, laughing and speaking in high-pitched tones.

"You should speak, friend Berek," uttered Aeglorias in Berek's nativeAtliduk. "I could prove too much of a distraction for those poor souls."Berek noticed a look of pity in Aeglorias' eyes, and a kind of sadness hehad seldom seen before in his life.

Nodding, Berek raised his voice. "My ladies..." and was greeted by a goodamount of high-pitched laughter. "Hmmm... well..." Berek said, evenlowering his voice as the women approached even further, standing nownearly close enough to touch. Trying to focus on his interest ininformation, Berek sought out who he believed to be a group leaderamong the women, a slightly older woman who had already spent sometime in this business and who was not as flattering as the rest of theflock.... He locked his eyes on the women in the second row.

"Please give my companion and me a moment of you time. Last night anincident happened over at the inn that proves that the streets aren't safeany longer in this town. A burglar entered the rooms of honouredguests...." Making a bit of a dramatic pause, Berek cast an obvious look tostern Aeglorias at his side, and the giggling nearly ceased. "...and stole hisbelongings. Now this is a severe incident, for who can say, hmmm, nexttime he might enter another house where he knows bounty might bemade...." Berek had thought about including a hint not only about loss ofmoney but also about criminals raping poor ladies, but he dropped theidea quickly.

"Hmmm, now the Firstborn Lord at my side and me, we want to put thiscriminal to an end ourselves, even before the town guard gets involved inthe matter. You could take part in catching the rogue. Please, who of youhave had an opportunity to watch the street in the second half of lastnight? Could you tell us whether you have seen anyone acting strangelyand sneakily, and have you seen any Dunmen pass by?"

"Pah! Seen! You mean smelled!" said one of the younger wantons. Theolder one cast her a deadly glance, and the younger shut up.

"We saw nothing, Lord," said the older woman, looking at Aeglorias withawe. "But I can tell you that all the thefts were perpetrated during astormy night, when there are few clients going in or out of the house. Butwhy do you ask us if we saw a Dunman? Did you or your friend see thethief?"

Switching to Atliduk, Berek softly whispered to Aeglorias, "Friend, seizethe opportunity to take the female who smelled someone apart andquestion her in detail; there is something she knows.... Threaten her withobscure Elven magic, if there is need...."

Berek stepped forward, blocking away the older woman from the youngerwanton, and said in his heavily accented Westron, "Thank you very muchfor taking the time for us. I am sure you will give us all the help you canprovide, hmmm.... Please be assured, that neither the Firstborn Lord nor Ido want to misuse your time or prevent your location from attractingcustomers, hmmm...." Glancing sideways, Berek saw Aeglorias touch theyounger female on her shoulder and gently lead her away. The olderwoman, who tried to keep track of the events, however, could not seeanything besides Berek's bulky chest....

"Hmmm, you said, mistress.... How may I address you, lady?"

"Zeuga," came the short reply.

"Hmmm, Zeuga, you said that all of you did not see anything, hmmm....So did you have the possibility to watch the streets last night?" Thewoman shook her head, still trying to keep eye contact with the separatedwanton. "And then, you surely know that your, hmmm... colleagues hadno possibility to watch the street neither, hmmm. I am sure that you havea leading rank in this house, yet please allow me to talk to each of theladies separately later on, I am sure you don't mind. THEN..." Berek'svoice rose for a moment as the older lady started to interrupt, "you saidthat all of the thefts were perpetrated during stormy night.... Hmmm... sayof how many thefts do you know?" Standing ready to interrupt anyphysical closing of distance to the younger woman as well as any verbaloutburst, Berek studied Zeuga's face carefully. What does she really know?Berek wondered.

While Aeglorias spoke in whispers with the young woman, Zeugaanswered Berek, "I know of three such thefts already, and stop wonderingwhat I know. I know nothing more, but I am an old woman, and I knowthat things are not always what they seem to be. Tilva there dislikesDunlendings with passion, and has the wit of someone her age. The lordwill learn scarce more than dreams and fabrications of a young dolt thatwanted to attract attention. One more thing I can say: Few people wouldpass unnoticed close to this house, even in the heart of the night, exceptwhen there is a storm."

"How did you get to know about the previous thefts? Have there alreadybeen people investigating, and if so, who, or do you have any contact withinnkeeper Mich? Furthermore, I would like to know if you can rememberany hmmm... clients who visited you yesterday. Please, don'tmisunderstand, I know that an important part of your business isdiscretion. Still some clients leaving or arriving might have noticed our

burglar passing by."

"Metraith is a small town, and the guards came to hear us before. Andthere wasn't any client last night, during the storm."

Berek grumbled, because old Zeuga seemingly told the plain truth. Takinga glance over to Aeglorias, Berek saw that the conversation he was havingwith Tilva was low-level activity as well. Sighing, he said loud enough forAeglorias to hear, "Hmmm, what a pity you can't help us with anyinformation of the nightly by-passers.... Still, thank you for your effort....Please accept that coin to spend together with your colleagues." Maybe,Berek thought, if there is something amiss going on here, one of theyounger wantons might turn out to tell us something, for surely Zeugawon't distribute that single coin evenly among the others. Reaching in hispouch, Berek produced one of the two silver coins given to him by Jiff. "Iam sure the Firstborn Lord would act far more generously if we could findany helpful clues. Well, you are surely in a position to hear much of therumours in town, so if you come across any information you deem helpful,please contact us, leaving a message at the town guard. Hmmm, O AncientOne," Berek turned to Aeglorias, who slightly winced at that name, "shallwe leave then to find the truth somewhere else?"

Nodding, Aeglorias turned to the wantons. "My thanks, ladies, and mythankfulness shall increase tenfold if we can get hold of the rogue!Farewell." Followed by Berek, Aeglorias turned and left.

Once outside, Berek innocently asked, "Hmmm, Ancient One, did youlearn anything useful?" He broke out in loud laughter.

Aeglorias smiled at Berek's laughter, but there was little real pleasure in it."What a pity, so young and already so wicked! I'd never understand, Iguess. Well, this Tilva knew scarce more, but she was quite convinced theshadow in the night she saw from her window was a curly Dunlending.... Iwould believe her to be trying to dupe me except that she was able todescribe the odour of the grease. So this time or in the past, she was ableto smell it. But tell me, friend Berek, if you wanted to pass for aDunlending, what would you do?"

Seeing the mixed mood of his companion, Berek returned to his usualcalm style. "Aeglorias, I did not mean to be, hmmm, disrespectful. Pleaseexcuse my dramatic posing as an humble servant of a great lord, a betteractor might have played another story. Hmmm... I know that althoughmost Men wish for a long life a long memory can be a burden as well, andI am not sure whether or not to envy you for the years you have seen. Itseems that our visit brought back memories to you.... Hmmm...."

"Not exactly memories, friend Berek, though I have already seen women,either Mortal or Firstborn, reduced to such a state, or worse. I pity them,really, and all the more those Mortal women who will never know...."Aeglorias looked at Berek with a slightly troubled gaze. "It is not alwayseasy to deal with Mortals, and I know it is not always easy for you to dealwith us. Sometimes, I envy my cruder cousins the Sylvan Elves, they havelittle time for philosophy.... What I meant, friend Berek, is that an Elvensoul, whatever the pain and suffering she meets here, will find healing inthe Halls of Mandos, and then will wander on the shores of Aman, freed ofevil and suffering. These women, they have only those short lives, andthough I understand how Eru's gift can be a gift indeed for them, I cannotfathom how they can stand their lives...."

Walking for a few moments next to his companion, Berek decided not togo deeper into history. "Hmmm... as for the information we obtained: If Iwere to do some robbing, I agree, it might make sense to camouflagemyself as someone else. But then, I would definitively not choosesomething that could give me away during the night like a certain smell,thus hindering my stealth. I would more rely on a special clothing, style ofhair and such, preferring not to be noticed above passing on falseinformation. Therefore, I think we should still assume our thief to be aDunlending. But you are right, let's keep in mind that it is only anassumption.... Tilva described him to be curly? I wonder whether that willreally help us...."

"It is easy to use grease to make your hair appear as curly, or at least quitedifferent from what it really is. Besides, you heard the loathing in Tilva'sword, so probably most people would readily consider that theDunlendings are to blame, even if they did nothing, if the thief took everyprecaution to make sure people will believe him to be one of them. I thinkwe should tread carefully, lest we commit an injustice...."

"However, Zeuga, the older one, said that there have already been threethefts, all occurring during stormy nights. It seems that the thief choosesthe time for his actions carefully, therefore being not a simple robberdoing his daily work, hmmm. I am not sure whether she said all she knew,for she was very swift in her reply that none of her flock has seenanything... and she really cut off Tilva when she spoke up.... Hmmm,maybe the reward offered will loosen one of these tongues, but I can't seea possibility to force them open. Ho do you judge the possibility that therewas knowledge hidden from us? And, I am honoured to hear my home-tongue Atliduk from you; have you ever lived among my folk?" Giving ashort bustle of sounds in Waildyth, Berek added, "Have you been taughtthe language of the woods as well?"

"I used to be a patrol commander in Greenwood, so I have had dealingswith your kind for a long time. Your tongue is close enough to that of mySylvan cousins, anyway. As for your signals, I am familiar with most ofthem, but I cannot say I master them. Besides, there is always a danger ofconfusion with the sounds we use in the patrols... and I know yourmastery of those signals is beyond what most of us hunters and wardensuse."

Walking with a steady pace during their conversation, the two soonreached the town square where they were supposed to meet with Kirdan.

Chapter IX: It Takes a Thief...

Jiff began with a tour of Metraith. He quickly discovered a pub where allpatrons were obviously Dunnish (or partly Dunnish). Some of the patronswere quite suspicious-looking, but after some words with the innkeeper,he quickly realised those people did nothing worse than poach in thesurrounding noble lands, or cheat their clients on the cost of materials.The innkeepers knew about the repeated robberies at the Fattened Ewe,but knew nothing special about them. Since most of those peopleappeared to be "honest" craftsmen or trappers, Jiff decided to head for theDunnish high town.

Jiff climbed to the main gate, on the east side of the earthen wall, andthere entered the Dunnish town without challenge. Kids in the streetseyed him with curiosity, women fled his gaze, and men were obviouslyindifferent. Jiff soon found a sleazy bar. The owner was a big man with adark gaze, who didn't mind the colour of his money. The beer was awful,and Jiff took only some sips before smiling towards the owner andbeckoning him to approach.... As the man did so Jiff leaned across the barand began, in a quiet voice.... "Barkeep, I have been looking aroundrecently, looking for something I require and it has dawned on me that,being the owner of this fine establishment, and a local of the area, youwould be the man to ask, am I right?"

The man replied, "That, my 'friend,' depends on what exactly it is that yourequire...." He let his reply hang in the air for a moment beforecontinuing, "If you want beer or food, I am certainly the one to ask... as forknowledge, I have some, so please expand...."

Jiff smiled, realising the landlord was playing the same game as he, andwent on.... "I require the services of a few men, with, specialised skills fora job in the next few days.... Do you know where or with whom I mightenquire?"

"Depends on the kind of work, lad. If you want some labourer, you shouldgo to the low town's square in the morning..." he looked at Jiff with ahorse-like gaze. "Now, if you want qualified workers, it depends on whatyou are thinking of. You could go to the Crafter's club...."

Jiff put a bronze piece, then another, on the counter. "Ah, I see you areserious, lad, so what kind of people are you looking for?" Jiff began toexplain that he had an opportunity to help rich travellers of his knowledgeto get rid of part of the burden of their numerous gold pieces.... The barowner smiled a wicked smile. "Well, perhaps you should look for Drukha,he and his band should be there around lunch time...."

"Drukha and his band will be where? Tell me, what is this Drukha like? Ican't abide working with amateurs... and how many are the number of hisband?"

"He is a strong and tall man, red-haired, with a dark red beard. Hecommands more than a dozen people. He can fetch more if need be. Theseguys are real terrors around here."

"Ahhh, but is he any good? I don't want just a couple of thugs, I needpeople with real skills and abilitybut if this Drukha fits, I'll certainly seekhim out...."

"Then you will be able to judge by yourself around lunch-time!"

Jiff replied, "Then I will return here at midday. Good day to you, sir...."

Jiff left the bar and moved off around the Dunnish town. He kept a checkto make sure he wasn't being followed by anyone from the bar, orelsewhere, and made his way towards the cellar which Aeglorias describedto check that out....

At the entry to the food cellars, Jiff noted two guards, so he decided towalk around and try to find another way to enter. After a long search, hefound a ventilator whose grille was actually disjointed. By inspectingfurther, Jiff saw that the bars had been carefully dislodged, in such a waythat it was very unlikely that someone would notice at a glance. Jiffwondered whether it would be wise to climb down the ventilator, anddecided against it, because of the risk of being either sighted or caught inthe cellars by angry Dunlendings. From what he could see of theventilator, he deduced that the man was probably quite lean, for theventilator was narrow.

After that he wandered around in the high town, but he couldn't find any

other sleazy places and nobody proved particularly willing to speak withhim. He soon returned to the bar to meet with Drukha.

The man was indeed strong and tall, at least for a Dunlending. He wore aheavy beard, significantly darker than his coppery hairs. He observed Jifffrom under his beer jug, and didn't speak when Jiff seated near him.

Jiff approached Drukha, carrying a mug of beer in his hand, and pulled upa chair nearby.... As the large man did not say anything, Jiff began...."Good day to you, sir. I understand you are called Drukha?"

"Indeed I am," the man replied in a gruff voice. "What business is it ofyours?"

"My name is Jiff, Jiff Breetdawn. As for my business, I asked after a manwho had certain skills, or who would know of people with certain skills,and the barkeeper kindly pointed me in your direction...."

"Hmpf..." sighed Drukha. "Don't turn around the keg. What do you want."

Jiff talked for a while with Drukha, telling with half-words what he waslooking for. Drukha, who was obviously shrewd, led him to tell what hedidn't want to tell, that he planned to rob a nobleman. At this point,Drukha made a hand-sign, and two heavy hands fell on Jiff's shoulder. Jiffwas lifted from his chair, and an angry looking Drukha told him: "You willanswer of that in front of Rogda my father!"

Despite Jiff's protest, he was half dragged, half pushed out of the bar, andthen guided to a building at the base of the tower that stood far above theroad, in the westernmost part of the Dunnish town. They entered a bigroom, where a mature man, his red hairs greying but his body stillmuscular, sat at the end of a long table, discussing hotly with whatappeared to be village elders and councillors. Jiff gulped, not knowingwhat was going to happen. Drukha and the older Drukha, which Jiffthought was Rogda, exchanged a few words in the guttural language ofDunmen: "Father, this weasel wanted to hire me to waylay one of theking's men."

Rogda looked grimly at Jiff, who was trying to figure out what that meant,and was asking him what he had to say to this when the door opened, anda man ushered in Carangil and Elen aacute;rion, who looked at Jiff inabsolute confusion....

Chapter X: In the House of Rogda

Elen aacute;rion spent some time trying to control his anger before

speaking to the Dunnish elder. "I am Elen aacute;rion Aerthoron, roquenof House Orr oacute;menya. I have been robbed by one of your people andyet came to this meeting to avoid using force against you. And now youhold one of my companions prisoner. Release him at once! You have noright to hold him! Even if he has harmed you in some way, which I doubt,you must turn him over to proper authorities."

Carangil winced and reached over to Elen aacute;rion. "Wait, please, Elenaacute;rion...."

"Be welcome in the House of Rogda, men of the King. Before we begin totrade threats, since the situation appears unclear, we must try to light itfirst. But unless you are a stranger to this country, like your friend at yourside, you should know that I am a proper authority, by word of the king!"said Rogda in heavily accented Westron. Elen aacute;rion was somewhatstartled, then realised that the man was probably speaking of Ostoher,Prince of Cardolan.

Carangil noticed that the red-haired man who looked much like Rogdaappeared really upset by Elen aacute;rion's words. "Gentlemen, please,let's all calm down. Elen aacute;rion, remember how the Lieutenant toldus these people are the Prince's loyal subjects and must be treated as such.Master Rogda, I will certainly give you all the honour due to your position,and I ask your forgiveness for my new friend. Both of us are strangers toCardolan."

"Your companion asked for thugs to rob a rich king's man in one drinking-place. We don't need no more problems with you new-come people.Thanks to Frogde's quick wits, we caught you 'companion' before he foundany ill-oriented people to help him in his evil deed!" said Rogda.

"And I commend your quick thinking ... Master Frogde?" Carangil cast aquestioning glance towards the younger red-haired man. "Jiff was tryingto find a thief by pretending to be one himself."

"Master Frogde is the innkeeper," said the younger-looking Rogda. "I'mDrukha, son of Rogda!"

"My apologies to you both, then. I am Carangil son of Anrohir." Drukhanodded in acknowledgement.

Jiff spoke up. "As I said before, I was asking those questions of you in anattempt to uncover the doer of misdeeds to my companions in an inn lastnight.... I really know of no nobleman entering the town tonight whom Iwish to rob," Jiff chuckled. "It was just a story to try to let you reveal

yourself as knowing the man who robbed us last night, though, you can'tbe the man, you are too large! The barman said you were some kind ofcriminal!"

"Do you back this boy's word?" asked Rogda, who then continued at Elenaacute;rion's affirmative. "So you here because you feel us suspicious.Why is it so?"

"Feel you suspicious? Well, if someone were pointed to in a seedy bar, bythe barman, as the man I should talk to regarding wanting to do someillegal task, would you not think them a criminal? How then, sir, should Ihave viewed you?" Pausing for a moment, Jiff turned to Elen aacute;rion."Besides, I found a new clue as to our thief, as soon as we can leave thisplace I will show you!"

Elen aacute;rion remained silent for a while, collecting his thoughts. TheCardolani must be mad, he thought, to invest common thugs with royalauthority. What does this man expect me to do, beg for the money thatwas stolen from me? Turning to Rogda he said, "You ask me why I do nottrust you? Because one of your people came into my room last night, andtook all my money, leaving only the unmistakable scent of Dunnishperfume behind! And what have you done to help us catch him? Youarrested the man we sent to investigate the theft! The question is not whyI don't trust you, it is why I should trust you."

Carangil leaned close to Elen aacute;rion and spoke softly in Aducirc;naic, hoping Elen aacute;rion but no one else would understand it."Cousin, consider this please, before you let your anger fly away with youlike a skiff before a hurricane." As Elen aacute;rion obviously listened, anddid not look offended by the use of the archaic language of Nuacute;menor, Carangil added, "You don't know for sure that the thief hadanything to do with these people. The Dunnish perfume might be a redherring. And their answer as to why they arrested Jiff is quite plausible.We'll meet our goal a lot more easily by securing their help instead ofresistance."

Noticing the heat radiating from Elen aacute;rion, Jiff tried to calm thesituation. "Now, friends, we should not continue with anger towards thesepeople. Sure I was 'arrested,' but Drukha did think me a thief...." Jiffsmiled towards Drukha. "Other than this mistake, now resolved, we haveno quarrel with these people, and should accept their offer of help."Turning toward his two friends, he added, "Perhaps we should present tothem what we know of the thief and stolen property, and see if they cangive us aid?"

"That sounds wise to me," Carangil nodded. "Elen aacute;rion?" Elenaacute;rion shrugged, waiting.

"Please, I old and not understand well your quick speaking tongue!" saidRogda. "You..." he pointed to Elen aacute;rion, "...were robbed, true?"Carangil nodded in agreement. "And you..." he pointed to Jiff, "...tried tofind him here. Why?"

Carangil looked over curiously. He thought he knew the answer already,but Jiff had mentioned something new....

It is a happy thing the elder doesn't speak Westron well enough tounderstand Elen aacute;rion's sortie, thought the young man. Realisingthe lack of understanding, Jiff began to speak in a slow, clear voice andshort sentences. "My friend Elen aacute;rion was robbed last night," hesaid, pointing towards Elen aacute;rion. "A witness said that the man waswearing the perfume of a Dunnish man," he continued. "I came into yourtown pretending to be a thief to try to find the man who robbed Elenaacute;rion." Jiff paused, then added, "The barman at the inn pointed mein the direction of Drukha here. Drukha thought me a thief and broughtme here! I now know Drukha is not our thiefindeed, he is too large tobe! Do you understand now?" Jiff asked in an almost pleading voice.

Rogda smiled to the lad, and then said in Dunnish to his son, "Drukha,those men are in need of help. Please help them, since once moresomebody tried to put blame on us...." He signalled him to free Jiff, whowas relieved not to feel Drukha's iron grip any more. "We help you bestway we can. Speak with my son, now."

Carangil could not understand the Dunnish exchange, but smiled in reliefwhen he saw Drukha release Jiff. He did not know the young man well,but was glad that the situation seemed less and less likely to turn tohostilities as time passed.

"I am sorry, young man; you should have come to us rather than to rely onthis dangerous game. The Firstborn already told us what happened. Wewould have helped you, and all the more so since the thief wantseverybody to believe us to be guilty of the theft at this boor's place!"Though Drukha's accent was clearly Dunnish, he obviously spoke andunderstood Westron far better than his father. "You think you foundsomething that would help you in your search, young man?"

"Indeed, sir, I did, whilst I was waiting for midday to arrive, and for mythief to turn up in the bar," Jiff smiled. "I took the liberty of visiting thecellar in which Aeglorias, our new Elven friend, was trapped by the...."

"You entered the food cellars," interjected Drukha with anger. But as Jifftold him he had merely observed the cellars from outside, Drukha's angereased back.

"Though it was guarded and I could not enter, I took a look around anddiscovered a vent which, though barred, could easily be opened. It wasdesigned to be thus... but the air vent is small so our thief must be of mysize, or smaller...." On this point Jiff stopped, waiting for a response fromDrukha or from his companions.

"And could Aeglorias not get out through it, or did he just not find it?"Carangil asked.

"I do not know, sir, whether or not Aeglorias noticed the vent, norwhether he could have used it for his own exit. It seems unlikely though asthe gap is rather small, but it would be wrong of me to say either way, onlyhe could answer either of those questions in complete truth!"

"We'll ask him when we see him again, then," Carangil replied."Something else we'll have to ask him aboutthis thief seems to be able todo a lot of things we can't do but Aeglorias can. I wonder if that issignificant?"

"Sir, what do you mean that our thief can do things which Aeglorias cando? To which things are you referring? And what do you mean as regardsthe significance? Surely not that the Firstborn and our thief are one andthe same?" Jiff asked incredulously.

Carangil raised his left eyebrow. "One and the same? Certainly not. But Iwas just thinking it might be possible that our mysterious thief could beanother Firstborn. The thief's cleverness, quickness, agility, light-footedness, and ability to operate very well on a dark, stormy night are allareas in which the Firstborn excel. (And I speak from firsthandknowledge, for I have lived among them for at least half of each year sinceI was six.) And consider the thief's main prize: heor shetook Sir Elenaacute;rion's gold, yes, but also took an amulet of Firstborn make." Heturned to the Dunnish elder. "That, Master Rogda, is how I and mycompanions came to make common cause with Sir Elen aacute;rion andhis companions: Master Aeglorias does not want to see a preciousheirloom uniting the Elves of the Greenwood and the Beijabar of theAnduin Vale lost."

"Ahhh, now I follow what you say, Sir Carangil," Jiff nodded, "and yoursuspicions seem to have a logical basis.... We should perhaps continue ourinvestigations outside of this room then, unless these two gentlemen have

anything to add which may help our quest? I would like, as I said, to take acloser look at the last known whereabouts of our thief, the cellar...."

Drukha nodded his agreement. "So your thief is as you or smaller... thatmeans he is certainly not one of our men, but he could be a kid, or awoman. And I don't think he be one of us, because such a thing would bequickly known among our folks: He couldn't spend his money easily here,and if he went to the lower slum, he would be noticed easily by the peoplethere!"

"As far as I can tell," Jiff said, "the knowledge we have of the thief is this:He has the skill to pick a lock, or else a key to the lock of the room.... Isuspect the former due to the scratches I found on the door.... He wearsthe Dunnish hair ointment.... He is a fast mover, and both small and agileenough to use an air vent for escape.... Nor is our thief stupid, he had theforethought to prepare an escape for himself from the food cellar...."

"As I told you, I think he is either a kid or a woman. Most men here areherders or farmers, they couldn't use a ventilator to escape from thecellars," said Drukha.

"I believe that is all we know?" Jiff looked towards his companions, to seeif they wished to add anything. Pondering for a moment, Jiff lookedtowards Drukha, and asked, "One final thing: Why were you angry whenyou thought I had entered your food cellars?"

"I thought the people I put on guard either wandered around or weren'tattentive, that is all. If you want to see them, I'll show them to you, that iseasy enough."

"Indeed, sir, I would be grateful to take a look at these cellars of yours, incase, in the freshness of daytime, I might spot something our Firstbornfriend may have missed during the night.... Also, and this request mightsound odd, I would appreciate an attempt to climb through the ventilatormyself to see just how easy our friend may have found it, how much noisehe may have made and so on...."

Drukha answered, "I will show you the cellar this afternoon, and you willhave ample opportunity to try the vent."

Carangil turned to Drukha. "You said the thief wants us to put the blameon you. Do you then think that this person is masquerading as aDunlending?"

"It could be, or so we think. Somebody from the village would have

difficulties to sell his loot," answered Rogda.

Carangil turned back to Rogda. "There is also obviously no love lostbetween you and Mich at the Fattened Ewe," he mused, "and there hasbeen a rash of thefts there from what we heard. Do you think Mich andthe thief are working together and trying to blame you for it?"

"That innkeeper cries too loudly that the thief is one of us to be honest."

"So if we can solve this theft, we might be able to unravel a whole web ofdeceit, and Mich might be squarely in the middle," Carangil observed.

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