7 Fourth Age: illuminated journey

7 Fourth Age: illuminated journey; [ Open ]
Topic Started: 19 Feb 2009, 04:07 PM (35 Views)
Deleted User	19 Feb 2009, 04:07 PM Post #1
Deleted User	Milo Brandybuck padded up the sloping tunnel from the Houses of Healing to the seventh level. As he emerged into the brilliant sunlight that caused beads of sweat to appear on his brow, the Hobbit turned quickly to the right towards the Tower of Ecthelion and the archives within. He had been on this level only once before, and in such different times. Then, he had dared only stand in the Court of the Fountain and peer eastward. Now, he was given a status—Scribe of Gondor—and permission to enter the ancient library at his will. Few had this privilege he had been told. It was a great honor, Milo knew, and awarded to him by sheer happenstance. After receiving Elessar’s blessing to remain in Gondor awhile longer, Milo had gone straight to the Head Healer. He had been prepared to act as a messenger and errand boy. What other use could a cartographer have in a place of healing? Milo’s first assignment was to be delivering a letter to the husband of a sick woman now cured with uraes. The husband happened to be a book binder, and Milo had expressed his delight at speaking with a fellow, for in the Shire, when the weather was not pleasant for cartography, Milo created tomes of his maps. What followed was as surprising as if the Healer had declared Milo was tall as a man and graceful as an Elf. The letter was snatched away, and Milo’s status greatly elevated. It seemed the Healers had become particular people after the War of the Ring, during which time they had discovered a great many potent remedies had been lost to them. Milo’s new task was to insert the curative properties of uraes into every book of healing he could find in the library of Minas Tirith. Indeed, the healer had said, in the entire realm. “Good morning,” Milo greeted the guard. He held out a sheet of parchment. “I am Milo Brandybuck here to begin my work in the library.” The guard nodded eagerly. “Yes, of course, Master Periannath. We were told you were coming. A table has been prepared for you.” The sable-and-silver clad man led Milo down a long, dusty corridor, up spiraling stairs, and into an octagonal room on the second floor. In contrast to the dark hallway, the scribe’s workroom was flooded with sunlight. Bold tapestries adorned the stone walls and towering shelves held the scribe’s work. Milo’s heart fluttered in delight when he spotted his worktable. It had been lowered so he could sit comfortably, and the surrounding bookcases were half height, so he would not need to climb teetering ladders to reach his work. All the tools of his trade were lined up and waiting for his skilled hands, though they were human-sized. No matter, Milo had thought to bring his own kit along. “I thank you very much,” Milo said, and claimed his place on the wooden chair. The Hobbit pulled the first book towards himself and flipped open to the pages between which he would place all the information on uraes. The leaves were gloriously illuminated, and he feared his own art would look simple and shabby in comparison. Nonetheless, he had been given his duty by the Head Healer and it was a great honor. Dipping his quill in the highest quality ink he had ever used before, Milo began writing out the words prepared by the Healers. As the Sindarin script appeared on the page, he was reminded of Bilbo and the books he had so kindly allowed Milo to study. “What a strange road this was,” he said quietly, afraid of speaking louder in the library. “One path flows into another without my knowing it, and here I sit – a Scribe of Gondor!”
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