Tianwen·Magweth Pengolodh

A long seabird feather, which I played with between my fingers as I walked.He watched the feathers twirl and murmured, "I don't know. I just thought I had to go."

At the time, I thought he was feeling the sting of parental responsibility, or that he was following someone he had a crush on.It's a long time before we know exactly what made Voronwe leave everything he loved, but that's another story.We have a saying, give a scholar the freedom to speak, and you'll wish he never spoke!I can see that you are sleepy.Go do what you were supposed to do and go back to sleep.Alfwine will need your help tomorrow.

****

The next morning, Pengolod received a less embarrassing "Good morning, my lord" when he received washing water from Tom.After he finished washing, he began to rummage in the suitcase.Today he intends to do what he planned to do yesterday.A day's delay was good, for he knew how to wander about Romenna unobtrusively.He hung up his pale-green scholar's robes and changed into the clothes he used to wear on horseback—a close-fitting tunic and tight trousers, and knee-high boots.With the green cloak on, it was somewhat closer to Númenor's attire.Yesterday, he had seen the inhabitants of Romenna in all kinds of bright colors, and they competed for the brightest clothes.And why can't they?In a quiet city, there is no need to hide anything low-key.Romenna's greatest danger was going overboard, and in that case, the bright clothes would have clearly marked where one was in the water, possibly saving someone's life.Pengolod's elven attire was pretty unremarkable by comparison.

Still, as he went downstairs, Alfwine, who limped in from the backyard, agreed: "That's good, you can see instead of being looked at. If the cloak With the hood up, you're almost like a tourist from Armenelos."

"Why Armenelos?"

"People in the court shave their faces very clean every day. I heard that when the old queen ruled, they didn't have this habit." Alfwine refers to Tar-Tel Perion, "this The custom was initiated by the king. It makes humans look more like elves, and since the king took the lead..." Pengolod nodded in understanding before Alfwine finished speaking. "If you go out now, you're going to miss out on people going to work."

"I'll have breakfast with you, if I can. Does the muffin peddler come every day?"

"The only exception is Star Day, when labor breaks. Newcomers can arrive at any time. I will miss Widow Azeran. A cheerful peddler may not seem like a big deal, but it is good to hear news and laughter at the start of the day. I I hope the new woman is neither mean nor stingy." As soon as Alfwine finished speaking, the voice of the little bell rang on the street.Still on crutches, he walked behind the counter and put on a serious posture just like he did when he received unfamiliar customers the day before.

Just like yesterday, the bell rang, and the big round basket and the blue kerchief came in through the door.The man with the things staggered into the store: "Sponge cakes, sponge cakes—oh, I don't need to say that. You hear the bell. I'm the new sponge cake seller."

Pengolod stood behind Alfwine so he could not see his friend's face.It took Alfwine a moment to clear his throat: "Ah. Yes, yes. Widow Ezeran said you would come. We usually—now we buy four muffins, not many, but We are regular customers." As Alfwine spoke, Pengolod noticed that he had quietly moved the crutch under his arm under the counter.As if he couldn't believe what he said, Alfwine said again: "She said your name is... widow Rosenzil?"

There was no flinching in the young woman's misty blue eyes.Tucking back a lock of long black curly hair that had protruded from the hood, she said, "Yes, that's me."

Pengolod himself was amazed at her youth, but then he remembered the Great War.He remembered it so well that he hadn't joked to the sponge cake woman that morning.

Shipyard Banquet

Alfwine closed the newly bound ledger, and said with satisfaction: "The logbook customized for the crown prince's new ship, this is the last one." He wiped his finger marks from the brand new pure leather, "Let's sort out all the results. Tom, we have to pack them up and send them to the shipyard tomorrow."

Pengolod had been lodged with Alfwine for a week.He cleared the large workbench, and stepped back to admire the work he had helped to complete—two stacks of blank books, plus a pile of scrolls the size of a half bushel. "Those over there are account books for the ship's accountants, cooks, doctors, and first and second mates. The three leather-bound books here are for the captain himself. These scrolls," Alfwine unfolded one of them "It's a chart of the bay for officers and lookouts. Those big maps, showing the continents and all of Arda, were made by royal craftsmen," he admitted, "but I don't care much, because I was in charge of making them. I have finished these." Alfwine used both hands to hold up a large book.It was wider horizontally than vertically, bound in glossy brown oilcloth, with corners of pure gold.There are two other books exactly like it on the table.Alfwine said with great pride: "They are the logs of the ship itself."

The next day, the master was as restless as the apprentice, and it was difficult to wait until the time to deliver the important order.When they left, it was only halfway through the morning, and Alfwine was dressed more elegantly than Pengolod had ever seen, and Tom transported the books in a cart, his face redder than usual.

For the first time, Pengolod was left alone in Alfwine's shop.The store itself is one of a row of joint buildings. The ground floor is an entire room, which is divided into two parts: the storefront and the work area by the counter and load-bearing beams. There are many closets embedded on one side.If people who live here pay more attention to home life, the small open-air porch paved with flagstones behind the store can be arranged as a kitchen.The second floor of the house is divided into two rooms by a wall and a narrow corridor.Pengolod had not been in Alfwine's room yet, but he knew that it overlooked the courtyard and was quieter than his guest room facing the street.On the top level are the smaller apprentice rooms, as well as storage rooms.Overall, the place is a bit too big for a businessman.Pengolod could hear more bustle and bustle from the houses on either side, and the yelling of children and their mother's voices from the yard.Sitting there alone, Pengolod thought he could imagine why Alfwine took apprentices, even opened the door to lodgers.

In the silence, Pengolod's thoughts wandered.He had been so busy this past week that it hadn't once occurred to him to continue the journey to Tor Eressia.He was too distracted to get a decent start to his "essay on Adunak".However, every night he wrote a short essay on elven lore for Alfwine, and shared the joy of discovery with his friends when they read it in the morning.Pengolod knew that while these essays (except one) were all new to Alfwine, they were not to mortals.He'd told those stories before, too.Most of them are harmless to pass on, some are very simple, such as the legend of the elves awakening by the lake of Cuvienen, and others only scholars can not tire of reading.

Left alone in the shop, Pengolod noticed something else, and that was a habit of self-denial and thrift.No matter what Alfwine did with the money he earned, he didn't use it to enjoy a luxurious life.The reason why he recruited tenants may not only be because of loneliness, but also spiritual needs.If so, what did he lose by satisfying his thirst for knowledge by trading with Pengolod?

Pengolod had decided to leave him something of value not even the staff of Tar Minastir could ignore.In his upstairs luggage was a large tome that he had shown Alfwine with pride—it was bound in green leather and contained a unique overview of the history of the elves.He would have offered to make a copy for Alfwine, not just the short stories.

At noon, Alfwine and Ah Tang came back.Alfwine excitedly waved his crutches: "They accepted it with satisfaction! We have earned enough to pay the king's taxes for a year, and there is still a surplus."

"They are hoisting all the sails on the ship, that's the first time! And reinstalling all the rigging. The mast was just erected yesterday." Ah Tang said full of longing, like a youthful boy.

After hearing this, Alfwinai pulled his mustache. This little action meant that he had a sudden realization: "The new ship needs to be named, and for the first time, it needs to be blessed with the branches of Ouyou Lai Rui. All those involved in shipbuilding and related projects Everyone will be there. All my neighbors have been invited to the banquet to celebrate the completion of the ship. Since you have helped, of course you have to go.” Alfwine grinned, “We have two days to make it for you. Some nice clothes in bright colors."

Pengolod responded with a knowing smile; his remark that "Romena's clothes are so bright and dazzling" has become a routine joke between the two. "Don't worry, my friend, I'm not going to dishonor your bookbinding career by wearing gray and gray. I have all these grays and greens on me and