The Lady

"Gather yourself Thoriston" said the maiden.
"Your sire came from the last of the great hounds of Erkness who would look darkly on you sloth.
Our road leads us far from here through many a vale and past shaded streams. You have feasted well on various meats and have lain and slept well before the hearth of this the house of Jones and from here we must now make haste ere mealtime once more approaches."

The maiden threw a cloak of unusual workmanship about her shoulders while the dog rose and came to her side with the quick and fluid movement of the best of his kind.
The proud grey dog and his master descended a great staircase with a speed and a sureness which drew the gaze of a small man waiting at its base. In his hands was a long yellow instrument creating a great wind which ceased as the came near.
"What a terrible dark music thunders from that your artifact!"
"Hello, what'd you say?"
“For what reason disturbest you myself and our fellows with such sinister racket. Would you not rather study the gentle art of the lute or horn or even the drums, as does the brazen young boy in yonder dwelling?"
"Uuuhm..Lady, I don't know nothing about music or whatever. I'm just blowing the leaves, see?"
The man smiled and swept the instrument back and forth in the air so that the wind blew again and a a number of yellow and brown leaves skipped away from him and along down the sandy path.
Again the wind stopped and the man put back his shoulders and adjusted the strap of the instrument as he puffed out his chest.
"See? Leafblower. Clever one isn't it?"
"By both its noise and its smell it proclaims itself of devilish design. Meddle not, little man, with forces that are beyond your scope."
"Well, no, I don't know how it's put together if that's what you mean to say. I know everything about any plant or tree you could name, but machines aren't my thing for sure."
“Wait here halfling and I will bestow on you a precious gift that will serve you many seasons of falling leaves."
The maiden moved with her graceful steps up the flight of stairs to her door and the man watched her back until she disappeared behind her door before he looked each way down the path and then down at the dog. The dog looked only for the lady and when she went inside he let out a sigh which the little man took as impatience. The man thought about how the sunlight had lit the girl’s hair.
The lady's fleet feet brought her back silently and the man started back when he found her suddenly in front of him.
"You have found favour with me halfling. This staff was fashioned by the folk of the eastern forest from the fallen branch of the greatest of their silvery trees. It will serve you well and you will never suffer a blister from its use though you gather the leaves of the Darebin Woods in one day.
Bare it well!"
"Um...thanks, but really I can't accept this broom."
"One denies not the gift from the Lady, take heed small one!"

The man noticed a strange white light enter the lady's eyes but then realized it was the reflection of lightning in the distance and very strange on a clear day. He found her much taller than she had seemed in the sunlight a minute before.
He stood in silence as she walked with her dog through the open gate onto the laneway which led up the hill.

The dog sniffed the air and quickened his pace and the lady also lengthened her stride.
"Yes, Thoriston, the roads call to me too. Let us speed onwards.
The lady sped down the hill with the dog at her heel and she began to sing.

The wind from the west, oh the wind from the west
did blow in the sweetest of birds
it sang me a tale of gladness and light
and it brought me the sound of your words

yes it came to my chamber in raiment of blue
and alighted on bedstead and chair
when I clapped at its singing and gave it some bread
then it danced in the afternoon air

yea, although I would keep and hark to its song
and linger all day in delight
the bird took itself back away the the west
and I stood there awaiting the night

oh the wind from the west, oh the wind from the west
he brought me a gift to behold
then the east wind did take it and leave me along
with the silence, the silence untold

The lady came to the joining of the lane to a larger road and followed it down the hill, still running. A sudden shower of heavy raindrops fell and the dog slowed to a walk. On the path ahead, an old man stepped under a tree as the maiden neared.
"Quite a bucketing" he yelled over the din of violent raindrops.
"Hail old one! I am fortunate to have this cloak of elfin design. No waters can pass its weave."
The maiden unfurled a hood from a hidden pocket of her cloak so that even her head was entirely covered by the grey of the cloak and was almost the colour of the road and the darkening skies behind her.
"Ah, yes I was at the camping shop with my grandson; they've got anything if you'll shell out enough for it I suppose."
"It is fit for the great task before our fellowship"
"Sorry, what's that?"
"This great fellow which any could see comes of the most noble of the old hounds out of the northern plains is called Thoriston. He trots with myself on a harrowing quest. I am the White Lady of whom you might have heard prophesied in the Rime of Mertgart or the tales of Amgord which are sung to the babes in these latter days as trifles but hold much that is true from the great days of before the coming of the great heat"
"Oh, yes, it was certainly colder when I was young. Global warming and all that.. Can't say I'd want it cooler though. Makes my joints hurt when a really cold day comes. Brrrrr!"
"I take leave of you now old one. This green way is full of bandits in these days. See that you take shelter behind solid gates ere long.'
"Bye deary!"

The small fellowship continued on, at a slower pace than before because even that great animal could not run all day.
Small trees overhung the path which ran beside a wider path now carrying carts of all manner.
The common folk of the area passed by in their carriages in great number while the two continued on their way. Many of the carriages were adorned in banners and pennants of black and white and one in blue and white and these flapped and slapped the sides of the carriages as they moved past.
The two travellers approached a group of these people loading their carriage with bundles of victuals and with heavy cloaks.
The men had dark skin and had their black hair cut short and had shaven off their beards, as was common in those days. Three wore around their necks woolen bindings which were striped in black and white.

"Hail men of Collingwood! Why tarry you here while all others of this plain thunder so frantically to other parts?"
The nearest of the men who had no load was looking down the carriage path with unfocused eyes and only noticed the lady and her companion when she spoke.
He exclaimed and exchanged words with the men of the carriage.
"Why do you not use the common speech? The manners of the men of Collingwood have fallen since last I journeyed here."
"Where is Robin of the blue hair who offered me welcome on my last wanderings? What of him and his house of many comings and goings?"
"Um, are you lost, are you ok? I don't know about Robin. My name's Raj."
"I am known as the White Lady, I am Eregrin, daughter of the house of Jones, sadly the last of my kind in these latter days. I cannot loiter here and meet all of your kinsmen nor taste of your doubtless fine and nourishing fare for I must onward with my heavy task."
“Well, ok, good for you! We're going to the match at the G."
“If I return from this quest still hale and whole then I hope to pass again in these lands and see the spectacles and merriments of which you speak.”
The man raised his eyebrows in salute to the lady as she and the dog disappeared into the wall of rain and he climbed aboard. The dark men filled their carriage with song as they joined the movement of their people to the great festivity.

Mighty Collingwood forever
will be masters of the mighty game
they won't stop going hell-for-leather
Guardians of the magpie name
we'll be standing when the other teams have fallen
as every other team should
beating the others is a cake-walk
for the men of Collingwood
The carriage took to the great path and was soon on a bigger path and then another and soon enough far from home, as can happen when a path is taken.

"Thoriston, I fear the shadows reach out to us. A darkness threatens to come over the land. Come now and cross the river, by chance we shall not be overtaken ere our task is done."
A carriage approached on the main path. It was emblazoned with the standard of the guardians of the realm and on its roof was set a great jewel of scarlet and of saphire.
"Thoriston, the guardians look darkly on the common dog who is tied not with bindings to his master, and as you know that a mist covers the eyes of many in these days and they are not able to see you for what you clearly are, I must bind you now in expectation of their approach. allow me to place this leathern ring about your neck and so evade the notice of these men.”
Thoriston held his noble head still while it was encircled by the loop. What had seemed large and loose in his lady’s hand now shrank to exactly fit the width of his neck. He had faith in the lady to whom he had devoted his life but he began to feel that the ring of leather was shrinking further and would certainly strangle him.
The carriage passed slowly but without stopping.
"The eye of the dark council was turned elsewhere this time but mayhap next time not so."
Thoriston let out a quiet and high pitched groan but continued to walk.
His head seemed heavy and each step became an effort as they journeyed on down the path which lead finally to a footbridge over a stream.
They started onto the bridge but Thoriston’s steps became shorter and shorter until halfway over where he was brought to ground by the force of that strange leather ring. He lay in a puddle making his sad dog-cry.
“Oh, Thoriston, how it grieves me to see you so weighed down. I cannot bear that ring for you but I can carry you.”
The lady wrestled the wet dog up off the ground and continued on towards the other side with much effort. The dog’s head hung limply over her shoulder.
She walked uphill with the determination that she would not stop until she reached the top of the path.
A line of dark rocks of varying shapes formed a border to the path as it continued onto the flatlands above the river.
With a sigh, the lady placed the dog onto a flat rock and sat herself on another.
“Now our journey’s goal is nearing dear hound. Think you that you may walk again?”
"Thoriston, our task must be endangered if our true selves were to be known here and I fear we may already be undone. Onwards in our journey we must be known by names as grey as my cloak. You will be Rover and I will be simple Jane Atwater. We shall hold our true names in our breasts. Yes, you are standing well now. Your courage is a great wonder.”
The fellowship made their way painfully along the path. The dog labouring obviously and the lady shedding tears in sympathy.
“Look Rover, in that hall we may find help in our quest. Reveal nothing of our selves or our quest now.”
The pair made their way from the path and journeyed through a plain where many carriages had been left in rows.
“Tis a forest of carriages Rover. What a spectacle.”
Both the dog and the lady were distracted from their burden as they made their way between the carriages each of a different colour.
The carriage yard came to an end and the lady and dog emerged onto another path which ended ahead in a open space where many people milled around.

A very undernourished man whose visible skin was stained a shade darker than the white of its creases was hurrying along the path but slowed near the maiden in grey.
“Scuse me love, you don’t have a smoke do ya?”
“No, my man. I am Jane Atwater and I come from a people to whom pipeweed is unknown. My dog here is a common hound and we are passing here on the way to the house of my mother’s kin in the distant mountains.”
‘Errrhh, whatever!”
“See Rover” the grey-cloaked lady bent down to the dog and spoke quietly near his wise head” he took me for a common wench. I felt his answer held almost contempt for out lowliness. Our deception plays well.”
“The grey figure and her hound entered a forecourt to a great edifice which seemed one great jewel with many faces. Scores of people were in the forecourt preparing to enter or having just poured forth from the hall through the great doors which were parted and shut by unseen hands,
“Do you want to buy weed. Really smooth, organic.”
A young man stood beside her. He had the flaxen hair of the board-riders of the north. She hoped one day to see his kind in their native land. As with all of those she had come across he had ceased to wash or comb his long locks in his sorrow at finding himself far from his ocean home. They hung down his back in mute testament to his distress.
The lady turned kindly eyes to the youngster.
“Ah, no but I know a man who seeks it and I shall offer you what little help a lowly lass as myself can.
“Good man in the curtailed azure cloak!”
She shouted this at the retreating back of the man who had earlier addressed her.
“Odorous fellow! I urge your return, I have found that which you seek! This man, though unkempt, offers what he assures me is finest pipeweed. Pipeweed I say!”
“If you pursue...” the lady began to say to the shaggy boy, but he was not beside her nor visible in the forecourt.
“Would that he finds his troubled way to his rightful home in the north.” said the lady more to herself than her companion.
“Now Rover, though I know not what to expect within, it seems to me that our quest must lead us into that mountainous place. If I had a flask of the oath-draught I would drink to us both walking again under open skies.”
With that, the lady of the grey cloak and her wet companion rushed onwards and the lady shouted “Elendil, Elendil”.
The great doors opened before them and then closed. The whole outer face of those great halls reflected the black and blue clouds flecked with lightning.