Tianwen·Magweth Pengolodh

Shaking back, muttering words in a low voice.Before him was a large silver bowl full of water.When Idril came in, he looked up and nodded.The whispered chants slowly turned into chants.He begged the Valar in the harsh tongue the Valar used when they spoke to each other, half-singing strange sounds in his throat as he chant.I didn't understand half of it, just enough to see that he was ready.

I have already instructed Idril, and she knelt in front of the big bowl as promised.I was beside her and handed her a small silver pitcher filled with black ink.I told her, "Princess, you are the one to ask the question, and therefore you must pour this ink into the water."

Idril bit her red lips, raised the silver water bottle, and poured a thin stream into the bowl.The ink condenses and coils in clear water to form a pattern.Rumir suddenly opened his eyes wide.He remained motionless, staring at the patterns in the liquid as if he saw through them to other places.

Rumir shook his head after looking at it for a long time.His expression returned to normal.He said firmly: "Yes, Aredil will return to Gondolin, and stand again before her brother's throne."

The princess smiled immediately, and her face was radiant: "In that case, I can have hope! Thank you, my lord."

After she was gone, Rumir said to me darkly: "She can have hope. I see that of all people here, she has the greatest hope. But hope will not come through the return of Arentil. On her." He would not answer me further, nor would he end his fast for divination.He said he would eat when he was in the mood and sent me away.

I had no other errands, so I went out to the city.I know there's something dark and ominous that Rumir isn't ready to say, but I can't help but catch Idril's euphoria.That night, I was too familiar with Rumir and his prudence to notice what I should have noticed.The white rocks of Gondolin were pure and beautiful in the light of the full moon, and the night sky over Tumladen hung like an indigo dome.It was the harvest season, and kind people were waiting for me in several places, which helped me to put the teacher's ambiguous words behind me.

Though one gem was missing from the full suite of jewels in Gondolin, it still shone brightly, and it has remained so for a long time since that day.

****

Rosenzil was fascinated.Alfwine cast her a longing look, and said to Pengolod, "You say that city no longer exists."

"We'll tell that story another time," Pengolod said.He had improved the experience of that night and had no intention of ruining it with painful memories.

Rosenzil didn't pay attention to this at all: "The street where I live is here. Thank you for your kind company and this story."

"Then, let's wait for the day of the stars to see you again?" Alfwine asked.

"No problem." Rosenzil agreed, and left.

Ah Tang stood shaking and hiccupped: "I don't feel well."

Alfwine said, "We'll get you home right now and make you puke up."

Pengolod raised his hand: "No, just drink as much water as possible, just let it clean the stomach."

Alfwine said, "Looking at him, both may be necessary." He laughed benevolently, and escorted the dizzy, vomiting child home with Pengolod.

The next day, Ah Tang had a headache all day long.Fortunately it is the Day of the Valar once a week, the rest day of Númenor.By this time, Alfwine had agreed to the plan proposed by Pengolod, who spent the day writing alone in his room.Alfwine, who was tired of dealing with people, also had his own tasks.Pengolod ushered in the first day of the next week with curiosity.How would Rosenzier greet them?Alfwine's beard-touching habit had become involuntary, but Pengolod refrained from teasing him.

The first person in the shop the next morning was not Rosenzier.Pengolod surveyed the newcomer from head to toe.The man wore the gray livery that Pengolod had seen worn at the shipyard banquets, the servants of the court of Tar-Minastir, from Armenelos.The visitor looked directly at Pengolod: "Are you Jill-Galad's advisor, the sage Pengolod who just came from Lindon?"

"I am," Pengolod admitted.

"My lord, Tar-Minastir greets you kindly. He said: If you will go to Armenelos, as a guest to participate in the celebration of the day of blessing, such as Letale, with the pilgrims It will be his honor to hike up the holy mountain of Menirtamar and witness the Midsummer prayers to Iluvatar." He handed over a scroll.

Both Alfwine and Tom leaned over to Pengolod to read the invitation, and remained silent in awe.

The first thing Pengolod thought of was Ciryatan's face, which couldn't completely hide his anger.Maybe there were other talkative people at the banquet who let Tar-Minastir know that Romenna had an elf, but it was most likely that Khiryatan was behind this invitation.But what is this for?Presumably not because of how much Qiryatan liked him, certainly not.

Pengolod smiled, accepted the invitation from the messenger with the grace of an elf, and was determined to find out the answer.

as Letalie

After receiving the king's invitation, Alfwine's shop was crowded with people again, and there was an endless stream of good people.Pengolod, hiding upstairs in his room, passed the day writing.In another hour, the summer night will fall, and he is still writing.While he was copying, he couldn't stop thinking about all kinds of troubles.He liked Romenna quite a bit, because it reminded him of Gondolin.However, after the crown prince's words and actions at the banquet, the invitation that followed reminded him of the lost Gondolin, but it was about its less pleasant side.

Pengolod heard Alfwine's uneven footsteps come up the stairs.He waited until the knock sounded, on the polite assumption that he would have to knock first, before opening the door for Alfwine. "We'll be having dinner soon. You declined lunch. . . Is everything all right? You've been silent for hours."

"How long has it been?" Pengolod noticed now that the sky had darkened. "I don't think it's been a long time, but elves are like that sometimes. I've written quite a bit for you, okay Make up for what I missed—"

Alfwine shook his head: "It's been a mess downstairs, no wonder you don't want to get involved."

There was an awkward silence between both of them.

Pengolod felt that the ambiguity between them had grown.They had laughed together at banquets, but they hadn't spoken freely since receiving the king's invitation. "Alfwine, we are friends, right?"

Alfwine replied, "Of course!" Then he seemed taken aback, as if quite surprised that he had said this without thinking, "Of course, I don't mean to be self-righteous, you are going to court, but then That's not why I say that. We're comfortable talking, we have the same hobbies; isn't that enough to make people friends?"

Pengolod breathed a sigh of relief: "In that case, I am very happy. Because there are some words and deeds I did not mention to you at the shipyard banquet, and I think some of them contributed to the summoning of Tar-Minastir. .I want to hear what you think. Maybe we can go inside and talk."

"That is to say, Ah Tang can't listen?" Alfwine said, the corner of his mouth curled up, pulling up his mustache.

"Absolutely not." Pengolod let Alfwine come in, and then closed the door.

He returned to the place where he wrote and sat down, and Alfwine sat down on the bench that was also used as a bed.Before long, Pengolod was up and pacing up and down, talking about his experiences at the shipyard party, how he had felt after being dragged out by the clowns, and his two more intimate encounters—the first with That pretty lady, and his confrontation with Cirjatan.After he finished, Alfwine said, "I understand why Tom can't listen. Uh." He crossed his hands and leaned forward, "You must be mistaken about our Crown Prince? I I've never met a member of the royal family myself, he may have just spoken to you in the manner of a commoner, that's all. Maybe it wasn't Kirjatan who prompted the king to send the invitation. Romenna was never hidden like a sieve news, and the town is full of the king's servants and sailors, many of whom have a knack for seeing who is of the fair race."

Pengolod paused at his feet: "Indeed, Minastir's subordinates greeted the elf ship I boarded at the pier. Their behavior and speech are also very similar to the messengers who came this morning."

"Whenever and wherever the elves are seen, the king expects them to be treated with respect and courtesy. And, if Cirjatan has a grudge against you, why should he invite you to the most noble event of the year? You know, as Rai Tale is such a festival." said Alfwine joyfully and proudly, "the king is going to the holy mountain Meneltamar, to give thanks to Iluvatar and the Valar for the land of Númenor. Númen Noor anyone can join, and can add their good wishes to the king's prayer. Our traditional custom is to go on a mountain pilgrimage with three ceremonies in three periods of life, children, youth and adulthood, and also That is, I have to go to each ceremony three times. Although I am crippled, I have already gone