In the Shadows of Fangorn Forest

They rode north and descended into the valley of the River Entwash, companionable in the vast silence of the land.



They spent one night out on the moors, under the stars, wrapped in each other's arms and late on the second day came across the first outlying farms of the village of Eaworth. The track passed along a ridge of land that gave them a view of the village from a mile or so away. This close to Fangorn Forest, well beyond the reach of the kings war parties in Edoras, the village was fortified with a stockade wall, mostly of wood, but the gates and watchtowers were of stone and there was a deep ditch that ringed the outer wall.



Serethiel's warrior's eye noted that the ditch was free of weeds and debris. An active line of defense.

As they rode closer they passed more and more small farmsteads with women and children working in the fields. The children stopped their labors to watch them rode by, but the women soon called them back to their tasks and the land had an air of hard toil about it, as if everyone worked all day every day just to get by.

At the main gate, a burly sergeant with half a dozen loutish looking warriors leaning against the walls behind him stepped forward and raised a halberd in a commanding gesture to stop.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded in a rude tone.

OOC: Does Serethiel have her hood up to hide her ears? If she does she will pass for human at even a small distance as long as she does not call attention to herself.

Umar bristled at the challenge, but mindful of their mission, he replied meekly enough.

"I am Umar Flintfield, War Captain to King Eomer and second cousin to Eadhilde Farin, a matron of this town. I have come to invite her to my wedding."

From some instinct he did not point to the slight figure beside him as his betrothed. Let the guard make of her what they may.

Serethiel enjoyed the cool breeze on her skin as she rode north next to Umar. They found themselves alone as they descended into the valley of the River Entwash and rode in comfortable silence beside one another. It was hard for Serethiel to believe that two months ago she had wondered if she would ever see Umar again and now she was engaged to him. As she watched him sleep that night, she gently brushed a bit of hair from his face and knew that she could not have chosen a better man and she felt lucky that he loved her in spite of her invisible scars…or perhaps it was in part because of them.

The following morning they rose and headed out just as the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon. Once again their journey was uneventful and late that day they spotted the first outlying farm of the village of Eaworth. As they drew closer to the fortified village Serethiel put away her weapons and pulled the hood of her cloak up around her face. She knew that if she was recognized as being an elf that that would draw unwanted attention towards them. She took off anything that looked expensive and tucked it away and as they neared the main gate she bowed her head and kept Beleg behind Umar’s horse. She let Umar speak first and kept her gaze downcast. Because they had clearly arrived together she knew she could not say that she was unfamiliar with Umar and she also knew that they would be spotted together in the village and so her mind quickly came up with a false identity.

“My name is Talia, Sir. I am Captain Flintfield’s personal servant.”

The burly sergeant glowered at them, but seemed unwilling to test Umar's resolve. The war captain, mounted on his horse, with a spear in hand and axes on his belt looked too much of a challenge for someone who was at heart a bully. He stepped aside and waved them in.

“There's a curfew,” he called as they rode by. “Gates close at sunset and they don't open 'til dawn, not for love or money.”

They rode on into the town, a sizable settlement for Rohan where the inhabitants tended to like the open marches and moors. The sounds of industry reached them, someone chopping wood, the clink of hammer on iron, cries of “Heave ho!” from somewhere out of site. The houses were crowded together along the street that lead from the main gate to the town hall at the center of the village and they could not see what was behind them. Pedestrians glanced at them and looked quickly away. Children stopped playing in the street and scattered to take news of their arrival to others.

Several years had passed since Umar had visited his mother's cousin, but he remembered the way well enough. It seemed to him that many more homes had been built since then and the place felt hemmed in, and smelled foul. Ditches had been dug along the streets to accommodate sewage, but whether by poor design or indifferent maintenance, they were clogged and stinking. The horses shied away from them instinctively.

As they neared the center of the village, they noticed a new invention. Serethiel knew they were shops from other towns she had visited, but Umar had never seen such a thing. Part of the wall of each house in this part of the town was designed to lower down and rest on wooden legs to form a wide shelf in front of an open window. The shop keeper was inside the building and their wares were displayed on the shelf. They saw baked goods, sausages and pies, iron mongery, and bundles of aromatic herbs all on display.

Turning left at the town hall and riding outward again towards the palisade, Umar drew close to a small compound in the shadow of one of the stone watch towers. A house, two barns and some small sheds clustered together. Flowers and vegetables grew everywhere and the sewage ditch in this section of the street was in good repair and clean.

The warrior dismounted and offered his hand to his lady. As she slid off of her horse, she saw over Umar's shoulder a woman of older years step out of the house onto the raised porch above the mud of the yard where chickens scratched for seeds. She was so similar in likeness to Umar's mother that Serethiel realized in an instance it must be her cousin, Eadhilde Farin.

“Umar? Is that you, lad?” the woman called in a country accent. Seretheil thought she also detected a streak of fear and caution in her voice as well.

Umar bounded up the step to the porch and lifted his second cousin in a wild embrace.

“Auntie! Auntie Ead! It is me. Come with good news. I am to be married! And this lovely lady is my bride to be,” he gestured for Serethiel to join them on the porch.

Serethiel was glad that the guard did not give them any trouble. She wanted them to remain fairly unnoticed and she knew that Umar fighting with the guard would certainly have drawn unwanted attention towards them. As they were waved through she cast her eyes downward again as she remained in character of a servant. However, after they were through the gate she lifted her gaze upward and glanced around the fairly sizeable town. It was in many ways like other human settlements she had visited, but she took notice that the townspeople seemed skittish and unsure of them as they made their way further into town. She wondered silently if this behavior was a result of the evil that was beginning to infect this land.

Serethiel relied on Umar and was confident in his remembrance of the location of his cousin's house. She continued to keep her horse slightly behind his in order to continue to look like his servant. Merchants and other towns folk looked their way, but she kept her gaze slightly downcast, although she remained on alert for any sign of trouble. Finally, they neared a pleasant looking house that was past the town's square and as they approached she spotted a woman of about Umar's mother's age out tending to her chickens. As they neared she looked up and Serethiel saw her eye Umar. Serethiel detected caution and slight fear in her, but she seemed to relax when she realized it was indeed Umar. Serethiel took Umar's hand and allowed him to help her down from Beleg, but stood back as he greeted his mother's cousin. As he turned to introduce her she smiled and bowed her head.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," she said in a voice that was distinctly not human. She kept the hood of her cloak up and looked at Umar. "Perhaps we should step inside."

"My lady!" Eadhilde dropped an awkward curtsy as she realized she was talking with one of the fair folk. And then her face filled with awe as she realized that her cousin's son planned to marry and elf. Awe and a fair bit of fear. Over the long ages the rumors of the elves and the dangers they posed to mere mortals had been exaggerated beyond any reason. She might be thinking Serethiel would bind him and a spell of obedience, or eat his children or some equal nonsense. It irritated here, but they had more pressing issues.

"Yes," Umar agreed with her. "Inside if we can, Auntie. And I beg of you to keep quiet about who I am to marry or even that she is here."

Inside the house it was very dark after the sunlight outside, but their eyes quickly adjusted. Serethiel could smell a rabbit stew cooking in a clay pot over the embers of a fire and the bunches of herbs hanging from the rafters to dry. It seemed very small, scarcely larger than a tent, but the older woman had made it a comfortable home. She quickly remembered her manners and offered them sweet wine or hot tea.

"Sit here, my lady" she made room for Serethiel by the hearth on a wooden stool.


Eadhilde's House

"Umar, be a good boy and fetch some wood for the fire will you. It's out by the barn -- you remember."

The warrior grinned at being ordered around by his second cousin, but went willingly enough to leave the two women alone.

As soon as he was out of the door, Eadhilde leaned forward to speak in hushed tones.

"You must leave this place as soon as you can, lady." There was fear and urgency in her voice. "It's changed since Umar was a boy and spent a summer with me. The guards are bullies now, and the new Thegn, he's the worst. Styles himself an aristocrat. Says we should call him Cynig Deman, as if he were the equal of King Eomer himself. And his mother, she was the sweetest woman. A nurse. I knew her well. But all that goodness is missing in the boy. Since has father died he's changed, become nasty.

"And if he finds out Umar is here, a real warrior, he'll make a scene, force the boy to prove himself in some way. But it'll be a trap. Try to make him do something he shouldn't. You mark my . . . "

Before she had a chance to say another word, however, there came a blast on a hunting horn from the street and then a heavy tread on the threshold. The burly sergeant from the gate stepped inside without waiting for an invitation and leered down at the two women sitting by the fire.

"The old maid and the serving girl," he sneered. "Don't want you. Where's that big lad? Umar Flintfield? The Cynig wants to see him."

Serethiel had an odd feeling about this village, but she kept her feelings to herself as they stepped inside Eadhilde's house. As soon as they were inside Serethiel dropped back the hood of her cloak, revealing her beautiful face and allowing her long dark hair to flow freely. She cast a curious eye around the interior of the home. It was small, but had quite a homey feel to it and appeared to have everything Eadhilde could need. Serethiel graciously accepted a cup of hot tea and took a seat near the hearth, however she did not relax. She could sense a tension in Eadhilde that Umar could not, but she gave Umar a little smile as he walked out the back door to fetch some wood as requested by his second cousin.

Serethiel was not surprised when Eadhilde then began to speak to her in hushed tones. However, what she told her put Serethiel on edge. She listened closely to what the older woman told her, but before she could question her further about this Cynig Deman she heard a horn blast from the street. Serethiel quickly tucked her hair back up into the hood of her cloak and pulled the cloak up around her face again. She glanced over at the door as it opened and saw it was the same guard she and Umar had encountered at the main gate. She was thankful that Umar had placed her weapons near her, but she did not reach for them or even glance at them. She kept her gaze downcast slightly, but could still see everything the guard did. If he made a move to hurt Eadhilde or herself she would not hesitate to grab her daggers.

"I do not know where my master went Sir," she answered quietly.

The sergeant looked at Serethiel with an appraising eye. He was much closer to her now than he had been when she was on horse back at the gate.

"You're a pretty thing," he sneered. "I'll bet Mr. High and Mighty war captain makes full use of you while he's on the trail. Maybe he'll share you about, if I ask nicely. Hmmm?"

"And what would you be asking for?" the voice was soft but full of menace as Umar stepped into the dark interior of the hut. His arms were full of firewood, but the sergeant blanched while and stepped back quickly as if he'd been holding a sword at his throat.

"The Cynig!" he blurted out. "Cynig Deman has commanded . . . requested you attend him. I'm here to guide you."

"Wait outside," hissed Umar. "I need to wash the trail from my face and clothes, then we will visit the Cynig together."

The sergeant hurried outside without another word, and Umar stepped quickly to Serethiel's side.

"Shall I kill him? Did he touch you?"

Serethiel watched as the sergeant stepped closer to her. She cast her eyes down more as he made extremely suggestive remarks towards her. Although her face remained calm, inside her anger was growing and she knew that if he got any closer to her that she would have to take action, thus revealing herself. However, before she had to do so Umar stepped into the hut and the sergeant quickly stepped away and stammered in response. Serethiel breathed out a soft sigh of relief that she had not had to reveal who she truly was so quickly. Her eyes carefully watched Umar and the sergeant. She wished she had been able to warn Umar about the Cynig, but there was nothing to be done now. She knew that they could not just leave because it would put his cousin in danger. He would have to face the Cynig.

After the sergeant stepped outside Serethiel looked at Umar. "I'm fine...though he did make rather suggestive remarks to me. Thankfully for him he had not touched me or Eadhilde otherwise he would be missing a hand right now. Your cousin was telling me about the Cynig and I must admit that I am worried about this encounter. Shall I go with you?"

Umar considered for a moment. He wanted her close to him, to protect her but also for her considerable skills. She was faster and more deadly than he, but she was also a person of renown. Any elf in this remote village would be talked about ceaselessly. Serethiel was a legend, a war hero. She would instantly be the focus of any speculation or suspicion that their visit might arouse.

"Perhaps not, my love," he spoke slowly as he washed his face and combed his hair an beard. "As soon as anyone knows you are here, we will be the focus of attention. Stay here with my Aunt for now until we learn what the Cynig wants. And we may want to work on a disguise for you. You cannot wear that hood all the time."

Serethiel listened to Umar and nodded in agreement. As much as she wanted to go with him, she knew that her being there might only cause more trouble. She smiled a little and pushed back the hood of her cloak, allowing her dark brown hair to cascade down her back.

"I shall try to think of something. Although, trying to conceal my ears is difficult."

She was quiet a moment as she watched him ready himself before speaking again in a gentle, loving tone. "Please be careful Umar. Don't allow your temper or your pride to get the best of you."

He smiled grimly and kissed her quickly before he left the hut.

Fairly certain that the Cynig would live in the big hall at the center of town, he strode in that direction and the slovenly sergeant had to hurry to catch up with him.

"Are there bandits in the area?" Umar asked and the sergeant looked puzzled.

"You have a number of guards on the gate and I see more men stationed on the towers," he nodded in their direction. "It must be expensive to keep so many men of working age busy standing guard. So I wondered if you have a problem with bandits. Most towns in the Mark are not so well patrolled. They have little need."

"Dangerous place," the sergeant huffed as he struggled to keep pace with Umar's long legs. Fangorn Forest is not far north of here. Elves. They're the worst. Murderers and thieves. Kill us all in our beds."

Umar gave him an incredulous look.

"Have you actually ever met an elf?" he asked.

The sergeant shrugged. And shook his head.

"Doesn't mean they're not dangerous," he replied. "They just stay away because we have a strong guard."

They reached the big hall in the center of town in less than five minutes and the sergeant called ahead as they approached.

"Sergeant Billin with the . . . visitor," he added, though Umar wondered what other word had first come to his mind. "To see the Cynig. Special orders.""

The guards at the front doors to the hall stood aside and looked Umar up and down in an appraising way. he no longer carried his spear, but he wore a short sword and pair of axes in his belt along with dirk in his boot.

"No weapons in the Cynig's Hall," the older of the two spoke harshly, frowning at Sergeant Billin for having allowed an armed man to come this far.

Umar shrugged and removed each of his weapons in turn, placing them on a bench outside the doorway. When one of the guards gestured to him to allow a personal search, he grinned and raised his hands to permit it.

"I could kill you with my teeth alone," he whispered in the young man's ear.

The lad stepped back quickly and Umar and Billin were waved inside.

A handful of thuggish looking men loitered in the antechamber playing at dice in one corner. They looked up at Umar and then quickly back down at their game. A farther door swung open and an old man, bent and bruised about the face stepped out.

"Cynig Deman will see you now," he said softly and flinched as Umar stepped forward quickly.

Inside the inner chamber, the Cynig sat on a raised dais in a wooden chair that had been carved ornately. A handful of benches were pushed back against the wall and more thuggish looking men sat there watching the new arrival curiously.

"Umar Flintfield?" the Cynig's voice was thin and reedy with a querulous edge. "What business brings you to Eaworth?"

Meanwhile, back at Eadhilde's cottage, the older woman had offered a bonnet to Serethiel.

"I know it makes you look like a milk maid," the old woman smiled, "but it will hide your ears. I don't know what we can do about your fierceness, though. Women around here are generally not . . . fierce."

Serethiel returned Umar’s kiss and watched as he strode out the door. She didn’t like not being able to go with him. She not only considered him her betrothed, but also her partner. She didn’t like not knowing what was going to happen, but trusted in Umar’s ability to defend himself if necessary.

With nothing else to do in that regard, Serethiel set about unpacking their bags whilst Eadhilde went to look for something to hide her ears. When she came back with a bonnet Serethiel graciously accepted it and put it on. She was not used to wearing such a garnet and she felt strange in it, but it did hide her ears and made her look less suspicious than wearing the hood of her cloak up all the time.

“That I can more easily adjust,” she replied with a smile when Eadhilde mentioned her “fierceness”. “My ears are a little tricker. However this appears to do the trick.”

She turned and looked at her after making several adjustments to her hair. “Well, how do I look?”

Eadhilde smiled and touched her cheek.

"You look beautiful, my child." Then she put her hand to her mouth in horror.

"My apologies, lady! You must be many years older than I. I know you fought in the Great War against the Enemy, and the tales stretch back of your deeds for generations before that. But you look like a young girl to me. Umar is a lucky man."

Eadhilde spoke easily about Umar as a boy when he had spent a few summers with her while his parents were busy getting the horse ranch up and running as a viable business.

"He is brave, but reckless," she commented. "I hope he remembers his manners when he speaks with the Cynig. Deman is a stickler for due honors."

The old woman showed Serethiel to a second cottage on the property, smaller and less homey than her own residence, but she offered it to the two of them while they were in town.

"I get the feeling you are here for more than a quick visit with an old lady," she smiled, then touched her fingers to her lips. "But I do not need to know."

The time stretched out as Umar did not return from the Cynig's Hall.

Serethiel smiled and shook her head when Eadhilde apologized for calling her "child".

"There is no need to apologize. I may be far older than humans, but actually I am still very young for an elf. As far was I know I was the last born full blooded elf in Middle Earth. I am used to humans often feeling awkward around me. I hope that soon enough you and the rest of Umar's family will not feel that way. I am very much looking forward to marrying Umar and becoming apart of this family."

Serethiel followed Eadhilde to the second cottage where she and Umar would be staying during their time in the village. It was small and did not have quite the same feeling as the main residence, but it had everything she and Umar would need. As she placed down their things she heard Eadhilde's comment about them being there for more than just a quick visit. She gave her a small smile, but did not reply. She was glad that the older woman understood that she could not speak about it and was not offended that they had other reasons for their visit.

She spent the next few hours unpacking their belongings and resting, but as the sun began to set she started to become more worried that Umar had not yet returned. She walked back over to Eadhilde's cottage and stepped inside.

"I am growing concerned that Umar has not returned. Do you think perhaps we should go and check on him?"

"Let me send the pig boy," suggested Eadhilde. "He is a close friend with the stable boy at the Cynig's Hall and he will discover what is happening."

The lad returned after half a glass to report that "Lord Umar is drinking beer and mead with the Cynig and the Cynig's sister. They are laughing and toasting one another, and the Cynig's sister has asked Lord Umar to stay for a feast and celebration of his upcoming wedding tonight."

Eadhilde scowled at this news.

"She's a hussy, that one. Pretty enough but a tramp at heart. She's the one that wears the pants in that family. Nice enough until her mother died a couple of years ago, and then changed, almost overnight into a manipulative shrew."

She seems embarrassed at having said so much, and busies herself in the kitchen making a meal for the two of them as the evening settles in.

Serethiel acquiesced to Eadhilde’s suggestion and attempted to remain calm and relaxed as they waited for the lad to return. However, when he did return Serethiel frowned a little at what he told them. She found herself growing upset that she had been made to feel worried about him and yet he seemed to be drinking and flirting with the Cynig’s sister. She knew she could not go to the hall and so she was forced to wait for him to return and hoped he would keep his head about him as he drank.

After a few more hours of waiting up she finally just headed to the second cottage and began to prepare herself for bed.

It was late when Umar came stumbling back along the lane, singing a bawdy song. He did not know about the second cottage, so he knocked on the main cottage's door and had to be redirected to Seretheil's door.

He stank of booze and a woman's perfume. He seemed very jolly and pleased with himself and desirous of consort with her, though he stumbled a bit as he pulled his clothes off.

"Fine fellow!" he shouted. "The Cynig. Fine fellow. And his sister! A raven haired beauty indeed. Now, my love, are you ready for me?"

Serethiel tried to rest, but found it difficult. It was hard for her to sleep without Umar’s next to her and even more so knowing what he was doing. She could hear him before he even reached his aunt’s house. He was being boisterous and it angered her that he was unnecessarily drawing attention to himself. As he entered their cottage she could smell the booze on him but it was the smell of a woman’s perfume that angered her the most. When he spoke she sat and narrowed her gaze at him.

“No, I’m not. How can I be when you reek of ale and another woman? You will not touch me tonight Umar. I warn you that if you do I will not be pleasant.”

Umar's eyes narrowed in a sudden blaze of anger at being thwarted, but then they popped wide open as he looked at her, unhappy on the bed, and his mood shifted suddenly.

"My love, Serethiel, forgive me," he held his head in his hands and sank down to sit on the bed beside her. "I don't know what came over me. The beer . . . it was strong. But I'm used to strong drink." He scrubbed his face with his hands.

"The Cynig's sister, Morgana, she . . . " he hesitated for moment, looking sideways at her in the faint light, then he plunged ahead with his confession. "She kissed me. And my mind whirled with the promise in that kiss. I imagined . . . " he trailed off again and would speak no more about what had happened between him and the Cynig and the Cynig's sister. Instead he sank onto the bed with a groan and was snoring in seconds, passed out from the alcohol.

Serethiel sighed as she looked at Umar passed out on the bed. She was still upset and angry but she pulled off his boots and carefully draped his coat over a chair before putting a blanket over him. She did not rest. Instead, she read in a book she had brought with her from Minas Tirith. In the morning when he awoke, Umar would find her gone. There was a basin of water and a clean towel for him to wash up with. Several minutes later she walked back into the small cottage with a tray of cooked eggs, fruit, bread, cheese and tea. Serethiel placed the tray down on a table and glanced at him slightly.

“You should eat something.”

Umar woke with a wicked headache and very fuzzy memories of the evening before. It took him several moments to realize he was alone, and then he recalled the conversation with his betrothed the night before.

How could he have been so foolish? So callous? Had he lost her? His belly flipped over in despair at the thought that he might have lost her love, and he sank into a crouch on the cottage floor.

After an hour of misery, he managed to get a grip on his emotions and started to set the cottage to rights. He could clearly see that Serethiel had been her yesterday arranging things for them, fresh rushes on the floor, flowering herbs hanging from the beams. He quashed his grief and set to lighting a fire and making himself some breakfast. It was then he noticed the tray she had prepared for him and tears hot and bitter started from his eyes.

As he sat in the doorway, sipping hot tea and contemplating his foolishness, he began to rework in his head the series of events that had lead to his downfall.

The Cyning, Damon, had been welcoming and insisted on beer to celebrate Umar's upcoming wedding. The beer had been brought by his sister, Morgana, a dark haired beauty. Even now, filled with remorse and his head still aching dreadfully, Umar felt an arousal at the memory of her. Yet he had trouble remembering any specific feature of her face or voice. Just that she had been lovely. And desirable. And when she had embraced him and kissed him, he had been enthralled by her.

He slopped tea on his lap and jumped up in anger at the spill and his stupidity in even looking at another woman. Looking over at his aunt's cottage, he wondered how long he should wait until he told her his fiancee had fled.

OOC: I'm sorry if I misread your post. You indicated she would be gone when he woke, so I went with that.

OOC-Its Ok. This will work.this reply is going to be very short.

IC-At that moment the door opened and Serethiel stepped inside. Looking over at Umar she could see a look of surprise and then shame in his eyes. She slowly walked over to him and took his hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. When he opened his mouth to explain or apologize she shook her head and stopped him.

“Let’s not speak of it. Have you gotten enough to eat?”

Umar nodded mutely at her question, and hung his head in shame, but in the end he could not contain himself and had to speak of what had happened.

“My lady, I do not offer this as any sort of excuse for what happened, but my mind keeps returning to this question. In all the years since I first knew you, no other woman has even once attracted my eye. Since those days in Fangorn Forest when you became my lover, my desire has been only focused on you. And yesterday, with you no more than a stone's throw from where I sat, I forgot you entirely in the brief embrace of another.

“This smacks of something more than a simple infatuation to me.

“We are here to seek the source of some malign influence that sinks into the hearts of men and women alike without their knowing it. Some seduction of the spirit that plants a canker in the soul.

“Might this Morgana be the source?”

Serethiel quietly listened to Umar and as he spoke her own concern began to grow. At first, she had considered this situation nothing more than being a human male. Humans, like all beings, were flawed and men especially were prone to drinking too much and then dealing with the after effects of their intoxication. However, when Umar confessed that he had not been attracted to anyone else in all the years they had known one another she began to realize that what he was fearing might actually be true. What had happened last night had seemed very out of character for him and Serethiel felt her anger begin to grow as she thought about this woman using evil powers to seduce her beloved.

"It sounds like that might be the case," Serethiel admitted. "If she is the source of this evil, what do you suppose she wants with you? Do you think she knows that we are seeking her out to destroy her?"

"I don't think they know we are here for any reason other than the one I gave," Umar shook his head as he racked his brain for better memories of the night before. "I just think she wants to exert an influence on all who come to their domain."

He came and sat next to her.

"Do you think you would be able to identify her inner being if you were to meet her? How can we be sure she is the one? "