Friends of Nimrodel: Tapestry of Dreams

[littlemanpoet]

It was strange. Aeron had been rather quiet ever since Raefindan's request after he had tackled him. Raefindan had no idea what the boy might be thinking. Most likely about Gwyllion.

Gond had been sent into the dark wilds, tilting leeward as he went, from the poison, no doubt. Erundil slept poorly and had chills. Raefindan and Aeron waited out the night, and at last dawn came. It was a smeary, misty, uncomfortable morning, and cold. Raefindan had placed his outer layer of clothing on Erundil, and had gotten quite chilly himself, though Jorje served as a reasonable hot water bottle.

Hot water bottle. Yet another thing that had no place here. Raefindan thought of pasty colors that had no relation to anything in this world. All here was natural and of the earth, sky, or water. The colors he thought of looked like they had probably oozed from some porous extremity of earthen magma. Jorje made a much better hot water bottle. He had his own generator. Raefindan shook his head. Every thought like this reminded him that he came from another place, that he did not know where he came from, or how it was related to this place, if at all. It was time to be moving. He got up and stretched.

Just then he heard noises from down the path, the way Gond had gone. He looked, and there was a figure leading a horse. Was it the swamp elf? Raefindan got Aeron's attention and warned him with a look. They watched, anxious, expecting to defend themselves. Then they knew the figure. Raefindan let out a sigh and Aeron's mouth turned into a sneer.

Ravion walked quickly up to Erundil and asked what was wrong. Raefindan told him what had passed in the night.

Ravion's face screwed up with a tortured look. "I never should have left."