15: Leaving the Valley

"How can you say that?" Laurendil demanded hotly. "How can you thank the Valar for anything? They condemned you to four hundred years of exile and slavery."

Eärnur gave him a cool look. "I prefer to think of it as another facet of my apprenticeship as a Lóriennildi for all that I have been a Master Healer for over two thousand years. Lord Námo was correct. I was the only one whose name was Eärnur. I always thought he meant I was the only Firstborn known to the Lord of Andúnië who shared his name, but now I suspect he really meant that I was the only Master Healer so named. I was not sent for my friend Eärnur’s sake, but for Fiondil’s and ultimately for the other Elendili. If I had not been there to teach Fiondil what he needed to keep his mind inviolate, his secrets would have been known to Sauron and Ar-Pharazôn and they would have learnt who had stolen the seed of Nimloth. If that had happened, the present Lord of Andúnië and his family would now be dead and I suspect these children as well," nodding towards Valandil and the two maidens.

The Mortals all gasped at that and Laurendil looked uncertain. He was about to comment when Ercassë let out a yawn, looking embarrassed when everyone stared at her. The two Elves merely smiled.

"You are all weary," Eärnur said. "Rest now, for we cannot leave until Fiondil awakens, so you might as well sleep."

"And you?" Vandiel asked, her eyebrows narrowing in suspicion. "What will you do while we sleep?"

Laurendil and Eärnur exchanged meaningful glances. "Will you guard them?" Laurendil asked his friend. "I... I have much I needs must think on. I will return later and relieve you."

Eärnur nodded. "That is well, meldonya. You need to come to terms with what I have told you. I will watch over these little ones until you are ready to return." He then gave the other ellon a sly look. "Just don’t be all day about it. I too would wander through this valley and rejoice in feeling clean earth and fresh air about me once again."

Laurendil nodded and without another word walked away, heading towards the river. Eärnur stared after him for a few moments, then sighed, turning his attention back to the Mortals. He gave them a slight smile. "Rest now. I will watch over you."

Boromir nodded and without another word stretched out and was soon asleep. The three younger Mortals were more reluctant to sleep but Ercassë found herself yawning again and soon the other two were copying her. Eärnur smiled knowingly and began singing softly an ancient lullaby. Soon, only he was awake, sitting among the sleeping Edain under the elm trees while somewhere in the valley Laurendil wrestled with his thoughts and feelings, trying to come to terms with what Eärnur had told them.

****

Fiondil woke in mid-afternoon, the sun having passed its zenith a couple of hours earlier. He lay there staring through the leaves of the elm tree up into blue skies, blinking in confusion. It took a minute or two for memory to catch up with him and he sat up suddenly, looking distraught. "Eärnur!" he cried.

Laurendil, who had been sitting in the branches of the elm under which the Mortals all slept jumped lightly down and went to him. "Hush now," he said soothingly. "Eärnur has gone down to the river to wash. He is quite safe."

"You’re not Eärnur," the young Man said in a hoarse whisper, confusion still in his expression.

Laurendil gave him a smile. "I am Laurendil Rialcarion. I am a friend of Eärnur."

"I thought it was a dream," Fiondil said faintly, "but it wasn’t, was it?"

"It was not," Laurendil replied, understanding what the Mortal meant. "But evil dreams have flown with the darkness and the Sun is shining. Breathe the pure air and be joyful, for those dear to you have brought you out of prison and now you are free."

"Free, perhaps, but not safe, I wager," Fiondil replied. He stared about him, his expression still uncertain. "Where are we?"

"In the Valley of Tombs," Laurendil answered. "We have lingered here in order to rest and heal. How are you feeling?"

Fiondil gazed into the Elf’s eyes and seeing the assurance in them relaxed, allowing Laurendil to feel his forehead. "Hungry," he replied.

"Your fever is gone," Laurendil said with a smile. "I’m afraid there is very little in the way of food, though. You’ll have to tighten your belt." He said this last with a sly smile as he looked down.

Fiondil followed his gaze and gasped, clutching the edges of the cloak that covered him. "I-I’m naked!"

Laurendil smiled. "The ladies didn’t seem to notice, or to mind."

Now Fiondil took in the sleeping forms around him and his eyes grew wide as he recognized his gwador’s sister. "V-vandiel!" he said with a squeak, holding the cloak to him even tighter in dismay.

"And Ercassë," Laurendil said with a light laugh, pointing to where Fiondil’s sister lay near Boromir.

Fiondil groaned and closed his eyes. "A fate worse than death," he whispered, shaking his head and drawing his legs up in order to cover as much of himself beneath the cloak as he could, looking absolutely mortified.

Ercassë, having woken at the sound of her brother and Laurendil speaking, now sat up, giving Fiondil a wicked grin. "On the contrary, Fiondil, I think you look rather fetching in naught but a cloak."

"Not as fetching as Eärnur, though," Vandiel said as she, too, came awake, having heard the last exchange.

"I’ll be sure to tell him you think so when he returns from his ablutions," Laurendil retorted with a teasing grin and then laughed at the looks of chagrin on the two maidens’ faces.

"Well, I cannot walk about in naught but this cloak!" Fiondil protested.

Ercassë gave her brother a smug look before addressing Vandiel. "Honestly, men are such babies, aren’t they?"

By now, Valandil and Boromir were awake. Valandil stuck his tongue out at his sister. "I’d like to see how you’d act if the roles were reversed," he said with a sly grin.

"Hmph!" Vandiel retorted with a sniff "Unlike you men, we women have more sense than to go gallivanting about in such a way as to lose our clothes." She gave Fiondil a meaningful stare and smirked when the young man ducked his head at the reprimand.

Just about then Eärnur returned, his hair gleaming wet in the westering sun. Fiondil noticed that the Elf had fashioned the cloak he was wearing into a makeshift robe by cutting slits along its sides in such a way that he could thrust his arms through them, tying the cloak closed with a bit of rope. It fell to just below his knees, so his modesty was preserved, if somewhat precariously. Fiondil gave Laurendil a hopeful glance and the Elf smiled.

"While you’re washing in the river, we’ll make you a robe as well," Laurendil said. "I’m afraid we have nothing with which to cover your feet so you’ll have to walk barefooted."

"Just so long as I don’t have to walk bare-assed," the young Man said fervently and both maidens covered their mouths, giggling.

"How do you fare, meldonya?" Eärnur said as he knelt beside the Mortal who had shared his cell, however briefly.

"I feel well," Fiondil replied, "but I am starving."

"Well, I found some watercress and some edible tubers down by the river," Eärnur said. "You’ll have to make do with that. Why don’t we take you there so we can clean you up? I don’t wish for your... injuries to fester."

Fiondil grimaced at that and nodded, allowing the Elves to help him stand. He swayed and they grabbed hold of his arms to steady him. "We’ll take it as slowly as we need to," Laurendil told him and the two Elves led him away towards the river with Eärnur describing their escape, for Fiondil confessed that much of his memory following the last bout of torture was hazy and unsure. The others remained at their camp, talking quietly as they waited for Fiondil and the Elves to return. Decisions had to be made as to what to do next.

About a half an hour later Fiondil and the two Elves returned. Fiondil, they noticed now wore his cloak much the same way as Eärnur did his. He was still gaunt looking and he walked as if he was experiencing pain, but his eyes were bright and he laughed at something Laurendil said. All three came bearing gifts of watercress and tubers for the others to eat. It wasn’t much, but they ate their fill, knowing they weren’t likely to find anything else edible for some time. While they chewed on the plants they discussed their options.

"If I remember correctly," Valandil told them, "just south of here there is a village where the road to Armenelos meets the road to the Meneltarma. It’s possible we can find or steal some clothes for Fiondil and Eärnur."

"Then where?" Boromir asked.

"Back to Rómenna," Ercassë said as if it were obvious.

Her brother, however, shook his head. "We cannot take the east road to reach Rómenna for we would have to get past Armenelos."

"Can we skirt around the city?" Vandiel asked. "Stay off the road and..."

"Nay," Valandil replied. "There is little in the way of cover along the way. Any patrols looking for us would find us."

"What if we traveled by night?" Fiondil ventured.

Valandil looked thoughtful at that suggestion but then shook his head. "They know we’ve escaped," he finally said. "They’ll be looking for us night and day."

"I suspect Valandil has the right of it," Laurendil said then. "We must go another way."

"Westward to Andúnië?" Vandiel offered.

Laurendil shook his head. "Nay! That road is dangerous for you and Andúnië too obvious a destination. We must go another way. We must go south."

The Mortals all looked surprised at that. Valandil noticed, though, that Eärnur did not react to Laurendil’s suggestion and assumed the two Elves had already discussed their options earlier while the rest of them were sleeping.

"South!" Fiondil exclaimed. "Why south?"

It was Eärnur who answered. "Nindamos. To the south are the fisherfolk and from them we may find aid to reach Rómenna and we can use the river, both as a guide and to speed us on our way."

Valandil gave Eärnur an odd look. "But Laurendil doesn’t know how to swim."

Now it was Eärnur’s turn to give Laurendil an odd look. "Meldonya, since when have you forgotten what I taught you?"

Laurendil gave him a slight smile. "I was just curious to see how they would react to my telling them I could not swim as we sailed to Khibîlhazid."

For a long moment no one spoke. Valandil, Vandiel and Ercassë stared at Laurendil in disbelief. Boromir and Fiondil, not understanding what was being said, looked on with interest. Eärnur finally broke the silence with a snort. "You Noldor have strange tastes in entertainment."

This set Laurendil laughing as he grabbed his long-lost friend and hugged him, giving him a kiss on his brow. "You know me," he said. "After spending centuries fighting against Morgoth and his minions I’ve learned to take my amusement where I can find it."

"Well, Lord Laurendil may indeed know how to swim," Boromir said then, "but I do not."

"It does not matter, friend Boromir," Eärnur said. "I do not propose for us to swim all the way to Nindamos. I hope to find fallen limbs on which we can float downstream, though I think it would be a good idea to check out this village Valandil mentioned. not just clothes for Fiondil and myself would be welcomed, but we could do with food and other supplies as well. I do not like the idea of stealing these items, but I doubt we’ll have any choice."

Laurendil and Boromir both nodded at that.

"So, the next question is, do we leave now while the sun still shines, though it will set soon, or do we remain here until morning?" Valandil asked.

Laurendil shook his head. "My heart warns me that to remain here is dangerous. We should leave now."

"Then let us leave this valley to the dead," Eärnur said, rising to put out the fire while the others got themselves together.

"The entrance into this valley lies through that stand of woods," Valandil said, pointing to a copse that lay further south of their position. "The path is somewhat overgrown, but still visible."

They wandered past somber monuments of the past, the younger Mortals pointing to one tomb or another when a particular name caught their attention, but otherwise they did not stop. As before, Vandiel led Boromir while Eärnur kept a steadying hand on Fiondil’s arm with Ercassë walking on her brother’s other side. Valandil was again at the head of the column while Laurendil took the rear.

"So how far is Nindamos?" Ercassë asked no one in particular.

"Fifty leagues," Boromir supplied the answer. "Perhaps six days if our luck holds."

"I will slow you all down," Fiondil said even as he stumbled slightly on the uneven ground, his unshod feet already bruised.

"Then Nindamos will be seven or eight days," Valandil said reasonably.

"If anyone slows us down, it will be I," Boromir said with a deprecating laugh. "At least you can see where you are going, young sir."

"We will travel as swiftly as the slowest and we will arrive when we arrive and not an hour before," intoned Vandiel in a no-nonsense voice.

Laurendil and Eärnur exchanged grins. "Spoken like a true daughter of Men," the Teler said.

"Indeed," the Noldo agreed.

By now they were in the midst of the woods, the path, while overgrown, still visible. They walked under a canopy of color as the green of summer made way for the gold, russet and ochre of autumn. A wind came up and scattered the fallen leaves about them as they walked under oak, maple, elm and beech. Soon they came upon a high brick wall that was pierced by an iron-wrought gate, which they found to be not only closed but locked. The wall extended to the east and west. Beyond the gate they saw the road leading southward towards a walled village.

"Well, I didn’t think about there being a gate," Valandil said in disgust. "How do we get out?"

"Can we climb the gate do you think, or the wall?" Fiondil asked, eyeing the obstacle doubtfully.

"Elves maybe, but not the rest of us," Valandil replied with a shake of his head.

"Let us head for the river," Laurendil suggested. "If the river has breached the wall...."

"Hsst!" Valandil warned them suddenly and pulled Vandiel and Boromir away from the gate and against the wall. The others followed suit. Laurendil, standing on the other side of the gate from where Valandil was, ventured a peek and grimaced.

Coming along the road from the village was a contingent of soldiers and they were heading straight for the gate.

Fiondil also stole a quick look before flattening himself against the wall. "This is not good."

Valandil flashed him a sour look. "I am so glad you’re here to tell us these things, my brother," he said sarcastically. "I don’t think we would have guessed otherwise."

Fiondil merely grinned. "So rescuing me was a good thing, right?"

Valandil rolled his eyes and refused to dignify that question with an answer. Ercassë punched her brother in the arm and Vandiel giggled, though softly.

"They know we must come out this way," Laurendil said, ignoring the byplay between the children.

"So what do we do now?" Vandiel asked.

"Our route lies through the village," Fiondil said. "We must find a way around these soldiers."

"Our path lies past the village," Eärnur corrected him. "Let us make our way to the river and see if we can get out of this valley that way."

"Why do they stop?" Ercassë asked as she peeked around Fiondil to get a look at their adversaries.

"Perhaps they fear the curse," Valandil suggested, "or perhaps they are merely there to prevent us from escaping while others come at us from the cavern."

"Then we must away and quickly," Laurendil said, "for now I understand the warning of my heart."

He nodded in approval when Valandil motioned Vandiel to take Boromir back through the woods until they reached a bend in the path so they were hidden from view before crossing to the other side to join the others. When they were all together again, Laurendil led them along the wall westward towards the river.

By now it was growing dark as the sun slipped behind the bulk of the Meneltarma and their steps were slow and careful, but soon they heard the rushing of water and came to the river where they found an unexpected obstacle.

"Damn!" Fiondil whispered in frustration as they pulled themselves back into the woods, hiding behind a couple of large oaks. "Now what do we do?"

Laurendil sighed. So close and yet so far. Where the wall met the river it spanned it as an arch to continue on the other side, its end lost in the gloom as it marched relentlessly towards the southwestern ridge of the Meneltarma. A series of stone stairs hugged the wall leading up to the parapet. Presumably there were stairs on the other side because standing athwart the river at the apex of the arch was a guard, but he was not alone. Several men were stationed along the river bank near the stairs and they could also see other guards on the other side of the river, so there must be stairs on that side as well. Some of the soldiers were carrying torches against the encroaching night. They were all on guard, facing both north and east, obviously waiting.

"We’re trapped," Ercassë said forlornly as she huddled in her brothers arms. "There is no way out of this valley. We are indeed cursed."