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'A Little More
Conversation'
Part Two -
Clean
To do list
1. Encrypt signal to commander, lower Baranduin crossing.
2. Decrypt signal from Captain Balien.
Copies to :
His Majesty
Pathenien
myself
3. Have quartermaster at Gaernaith explain requisition note for 200
arrows, both heads and shafts. Gaernaith has remained free of enemy
action.
4. Lord Glorfindel re:
additions to terms of service
building materials
agriculture
trees??
engineer???
5. Complete essay for class; Harad, history and language.
6. Buy lamp oil
To: Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, formerly of
Gondolin.
Dear Lord Glorfindel,
I was impressed at the speed with which your letter reached
Mithlond. This suggests it will be possible to maintain a more
direct line of communication than I had first imagined.
His majesty’s council envisages the valley primarily as a military
refuge and stronghold, with only transient accommodation for
refugees. This being the case, the necessity for settlements on both
sides of the Bruinen might not be seen as a priority sufficiently
pressing as to require the redeployment of one of the army’s
engineers. If, however, the need for a bridge has a solid military
basis, I will draw my superior’s attention to the matter and see
what can be arranged.
Your list of building requirements is impressive in its length.
Unfortunately it would require a small caravan to transport all
these items, something difficult to conceal and likely to compromise
the secrecy surrounding the valley’s location. I will make what
arrangements I can. Small items such as sacks of nails should pose
little problem but you will need to start producing bricks and
suchlike in sita.
To my knowledge, Lord Elrond has no previous experience with any
major construction projects, no.
I believe his majesty expressed some surprise at the additional
points raised in your acceptance of his terms of service. The choice
of second in command usually falls within the discretion of the head
of the army (Lord Elrond) or becomes a personal appointment of his
majesty’s choosing. One assumes this was not the case in Gondolin?
I would find it difficult to justify the additional expense of an
agricultural expert. I could perhaps forward to you some literature
on the subject? I am also surprised to hear there is no one in the
refugee population able to communicate with the local flora. I would
have assumed the presence of a number of silvan elves?
Forgive the question, but I have no experience in such matters - how
would one go about asking a tree’s permission before cutting it
down?
I have sent out a general directive regarding the domestic animal
population of Eriador, asking that they be fed and cared for where
practical. Rounding them up, as you expressed it, would be desirable
but begs the question of where they could be kept. I share your
concern for the cows, but were they to be formed into a herd, there
would still be no safe refuge for them. Were there many calves?
Having spent a few years on a farm in my youth, I know that cows
need to be milked regularly, otherwise they become ill.
Erestor, Administrative Assistant to Senior Military Advisor
Pathenien.
~*~*~*~*~
To admin assistant Erestor.
My thanks for your prompt response to my letter. I hope everything
goes well in Lindon. We hear very little about the progress of the
war here, although we have just been inspected by an envoy from Lord
Elrond and from him we learned something of our recent losses. On a
personal note, has there been any word from my cousin
Artanis Galadriel?
When I left Lindon, her whereabouts had become a matter of concern
to the king.
It is a fact that the hostilities in Eregion and Eriador have
created a not inconsiderable refugee population with nowhere to
go. I have command of a large, secure valley, and I refuse to
turn away anyone my patrols might find fleeing aimlessly across
Eriador. In this I follow the precedent set for me by Lord Elrond.
These people need to be fed and housed, and to this end it seems
practical to utilise the land across the Bruinen, creating a small,
permanent community for those wishing to make a home here. In return
for this, it is my hope that they will cultivate the yet to be
planted crops.
I should explain at this point that the area we currently occupy is
on an outcrop of land hard against the cliff face, close to the
steep trail down from the high lands. We face sheer rock across
swift-flowing water. Further down, this strip of land merges back
into rock, but across the river gorge and around a small bend, the
valley opens up. The river continues to follow the cliff, its course
broken by a number of waterfalls, while on the opposite side the
valley widens into a broad expanse of forest, thick brush and
occasional open land.
If I have understood my brief correctly, our primary objective is to
create a well-defended military strongpoint in Eriador. It needs to
serve as both a base from which to launch operations against the
enemy, and as a place where wounded warriors can rest and
recuperate, thus avoiding the arduous and potentially dangerous
journey back to Lindon. With all this in mind, the military
justification both for two settlements and for a bridge to connect
them is as follows…
With the refugees settled on the far side of the Bruinen, there will
be more space here for the garrison, a desirable outcome as we have
swift access to the open lands near the ford. (I enclose a rough
diagram for clarification) As our crops will be planted (and
harvested) on the far side of the river – attached to the proposed
civilian settlement – we need a more enduring structure than the
current rope bridge so that we can convey goods over to this side of
the river. I assume food remains a recognised priority?
I do not request the services of an ‘expert’, merely an experienced
farmer who can tell me which crops would do best in this valley and
how to utilise the narrow strip of arable land along this side of
the gorge. The soil here looks rich but the area is very moist due
to the mist from the waterfalls. I find it hard to believe this
would require any great expenditure on the crown’s part. I asked if
we had someone amongst us skilled in such matters, but it appears
not. People are still traumatised by their recent experiences, but I
think will be enthusiastic about the challenges Imladris poses once
they are assured they will not be ‘moved on’ as soon as some
faceless bureaucrat deems it expedient.
I find it constantly frustrating that decisions of such magnitude
are taken from a distance by people who have no concept of how it
feels to be attacked, hunted, to have nowhere to shelter
On the matter of building supplies; it is all very well and good,
Administrative Assistant Erestor, to say that we must manufacture
our own bricks and mortar. I am properly sensitive to the need for
secrecy – until we have the valley properly secured, all our lives
depend upon it. However, until I have a suitably skilled person at
my disposal to explain the process and recruit brick-makers, the
building of permanent structures will have to wait. Equally, mortar.
What exactly does mortar consist of? All I know, forgive my
ignorance, is that it is a substance, usually grey, that holds
bricks together. Do you have any suggestions?
In the matter of my second in command, I told his majesty that I
want someone I can work with, not an elf who holds his position
purely because his mother is related by marriage – distantly – to
someone important. And yes, things were managed in much the same
manner in Gondolin. And yes, I argued against it then, too, though
with less expectation of a fair hearing than I had – justifiably –
with his majesty. When I find someone suitable, I will of course
consult with Lord Elrond before appointing him. Until then, I
undertake to avoid doing anything inconvenient like getting myself
killed - Lord Námo might be under-impressed to find me back in his
Halls so soon.
Your question about the trees… I just wanted to do the right thing.
It seemed churlish to invade their valley and chop them down without
so much as a by your leave. The few silvan elves in our company
have, in fact, been most helpful in pointing out potential sites
where the trees are fairly thin, the area is protected and
convenient to water, and the soil appears arable. I must thank you
for your suggestion in this regard.
We have our first small flock of sheep. They were wandering around
on the high ground beyond the valley and two of my warriors showed
exceptional enterprise (and patience, to say nothing of
perseverance) in getting them down the steep trail to the valley
floor. They mark a beginning, small but encouraging. Eventually when
their numbers have increased they will provide wool for weaving and,
very occasionally, mutton for the table. I no longer eat meat, but I
am told roast lamb is very popular in Eriador.
We – the refugee community and I – have discussed cows, but feel
they would provide a somewhat greater challenge to introduce. There
are disadvantages to life in an inaccessible valley.
Thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of the stray animals I
mentioned. One of the dogs followed us and seems to have attached
himself to me. He is a large creature, possibly, I am told, bred to
work with cattle. He follows me everywhere, possibly fearing that I
too will disappear as did his previous two-legged companions. I have
named him Háran.
Yours,
Glorfindel of Gondolin.
~*~*~*~*~
To do list
2. Decrypt signal from Balien.
Copies to :
Pathenien
3. Suggest Pathenien demands full audit of stores at Gaernaith.
4. Lord Glorfindel - bricks
5. Complete essay for class; Harad, history and language.
6. Buy lamp oil!!!
To: Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, formerly of
Gondolin.
Dear Lord Glorfindel,
The messenger had already left, but I am sending a rider after him
with this packet. Please find enclosed a treatise on Basic
Agriculture in Northern Regions, and a step by step guide to brick
making, including diagrams of a simple kiln. I thought both works
might be of some assistance. I note that for the processing of both
bricks and mortar, the presence of materials such as clay and
limestone appears necessary.
A.A. Erestor.
~*~*~*~*~
Part 3
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Beta: Red Lasbelin |