Letters to my Brother Pt. 7

Dear Brother,

It is good to hear that you are safe in Bree. There are many men of upstanding reputation there. I will caution you on your vow. Those typically have a habit of coming to pass in a fairly ironic manner. Particularly, when made on a power of great evil in such times. It is good you chose a trade to engage in that will help to pass the time. I will caution you. While you should make friends take care to avoid becoming corrupt like they may be. You are walking a dangerous line pray don not fall from it. If you do I fear you may raise fathers wrath more then I.

Now away from that dread tidings. In other fair new we have freed Arovthal! The day was late but we found him. The Dourhands almost shipped him down the river to slavery.  We put together a strike team and raided Kheledul and almost missed him. There was a disturbance near one of the docked ships and we ran towards it. Avorthal had enough presence and strength to create a diversion and alert us.

As we came to the boat the captain was ready to lay him low with a sword. Sentrathalion jumped over the bow and slew the captain in single combat. We freed Avorthal and exited the valley. As we did we encountered a strike team of dwarfs who had heard the news and were trying to reinforce us in a show of good will.

They had barely escaped a goblin blockade on their way to aid us. We left Avorthal at Thrasi’s lodge and sent word to his father. Our combined force numbered about fifty elves and dwarfs of fine fighting stock. We assaulted the goblin post and they will not be posing any form of resistance in the future. Then we finally broke through to Gondamin. We have been busy redirecting their anger at the traitorous dwarfs and are preparing for a strike on their forces that appear to be taking shelter in a nearby valley.

What occurred happened nearly a month ago. Now we stand Elves and Dwarfs prepared to attack our enemy for the better of both our kind.

I bear news of a very amusing sort. We have had a curious encounter with two sets of dwarfs. The first was a humorous couple named the Beardkissers. They were leaving the Low lands near Gondamin and were slaying a brood of spiders. Or at least Mr. Beardkisser was. His better half was running away from the brood making the most amusing noise. Imagine the sound a dying vale fly makes and combine it with the noise wolves make when you hit them and you will get fairly close to the noise she was making. After we helped kill the rest of the brood we talked with them a little and found that they were heading towards Bree and beyond. They went on their way and we went on ours.

The other dwarf we met is named Balathrain Golddelver. He is a capable guardian and the strongest brew of the dwarfs seems to have no effect on him. He is very skilled with a sword and shield. He is irrepressible and valuable in helping our cause of peace. He will travel with us when we leave Gondamin and will be our dwarven ambassador for this point on. Though we must take care to keep him away from ale. While he has shown no ill effects from any brew I would rather not push my luck.

After we had Balathrain join our party we helped re-supply Gondamin. Mathi a stout hearted dwarf rules the fort and sent us to investigate some odd disturbances in the north of the low lands. What we found was shocking. The Dourhands had found some old foul magic and raised a ancient grave of wytes. The foul creatures roamed the forest killing anything they pleased. We put a quick end to the foul creatures. It was highly unnerving, I know that it is unnatural but these wytes made my skin crawl. It was almost as if there was a new type of evil was there a more powerful evil. I still have nightmares about it.

We then returned to Gondamin and encountered some of our fellow Elves from Elrond’s Valley and Lorien. That encounter was enough to remind me why I like Lindor and Mirkwood elves much better. The careless…. Ermh. Let me restate that. Our frivolous brethren were so ignorant and careless it was painful. One of them even had the nerve to tell me that I was a shame to my family for associating with a dwarf.

Balathrian has grown close to us after proving himself in combat and I consider him my blood brother. Apparently, so did Senrathalion and Malelthalion because we all stood up in his defense. I walked towards the snotty elf and broke his nose. That will show that flipity, stuck-up, tree singing, bough bender to insult friends of Aradathalion Woodstalker! Lorien elves. Uggg. I have no great love for them. He was quite happy to have a stair rail at his back or he might have fallen down the stairs.

To conclude my letter we will begin our assault soon. We must first thin their numbers but we will hit them hard soon. I beg you to take care in Bree as many would try to lead you astray. You are letting your darker instincts rule you. I don’t forget who you are but do not let your good be out fought by the bad. Fight back the oppressors there for that is the destiny of a Woodstalker!

Your Brother,

Aradathalion

P.S. I should be heading to Bree soon. I hope I will get to see you but everything seems to be going crazy right now.