Silent watcher over peaceful lands… (pic heavy)
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 12:55 pm
The hill was well situated, overlooking the valley leading into the distance. Certainly the old people must have thought so as they had built one of their strange monuments on it’s top.
When Aranath had led him to this place Eofor had instinctively shrunk backwards, he wasn’t a man given to irrational fears but the first glance of the standing stones in the evening twilight had reminded him of the Púkel-men of his homeland which had terrified him as a child.
That had been three days ago and now he felt nothing from the stones but the warmth of the sun they absorbed during the day. The nights here were bitter cold but for now the stone at his back and the last hours of daylight kept the chill at bay.
He had been asked by the Dunedain to help with some simple guard duty and he was happy to do so for they were a right people who had always treated him with honour.
‘Watch south’ Aranath had told him ‘there have been pale lights on the downs of late, and evil things are stirring. You may deal with any mundane threat but you must swear an oath not to stand if the evil comes forth but to retreat to Bree and sound the alarm’
Eofor had hated taking that oath, though Aranath had probably been right to demand it, and when pressed on the nature of what he was guarding against the rangers shudder convinced him it would be folly to stand his ground.
Besides he thought brightening somewhat, if he was to sound the alarm at Bree then that meant the Dunedain would be coming to fight and that would be a rare thing indeed.
And so, contented he stood his lonely vigil, warmed by the rocks and the sun, willing to be, what had Aranath called him? Ahhh yes that was it. A silent watcher over peaceful lands…
When Aranath had led him to this place Eofor had instinctively shrunk backwards, he wasn’t a man given to irrational fears but the first glance of the standing stones in the evening twilight had reminded him of the Púkel-men of his homeland which had terrified him as a child.
That had been three days ago and now he felt nothing from the stones but the warmth of the sun they absorbed during the day. The nights here were bitter cold but for now the stone at his back and the last hours of daylight kept the chill at bay.
He had been asked by the Dunedain to help with some simple guard duty and he was happy to do so for they were a right people who had always treated him with honour.
‘Watch south’ Aranath had told him ‘there have been pale lights on the downs of late, and evil things are stirring. You may deal with any mundane threat but you must swear an oath not to stand if the evil comes forth but to retreat to Bree and sound the alarm’
Eofor had hated taking that oath, though Aranath had probably been right to demand it, and when pressed on the nature of what he was guarding against the rangers shudder convinced him it would be folly to stand his ground.
Besides he thought brightening somewhat, if he was to sound the alarm at Bree then that meant the Dunedain would be coming to fight and that would be a rare thing indeed.
And so, contented he stood his lonely vigil, warmed by the rocks and the sun, willing to be, what had Aranath called him? Ahhh yes that was it. A silent watcher over peaceful lands…
