A Little More Conversation by Keiliss

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A Little More Conversation 2/11

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Part Two - Clean

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To do list
1. Encrypt signal to commander, lower Baranduin crossing.
2. Decrypt signal from Captain Balien.
Copies to :
     His Majesty
     Pathenien
     myself
3. Have quartermaster at Gaernaith explain requisition note for 200 arrows, both heads and shafts. Gaernaith has remained free of enemy action.
4. Lord Glorfindel re:
     additions to terms of service
     building materials
     agriculture
     trees??
     engineer???
5. Complete essay for class; Harad, history and language.
6. Buy lamp oil

To: Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, formerly of Gondolin.

Dear Lord Glorfindel,

I was impressed at the speed with which your letter reached Mithlond. This suggests it will be possible to maintain a more direct line of communication than I had first imagined.

His majesty’s council envisages the valley primarily as a military refuge and stronghold, with only transient accommodation for refugees. This being the case, the necessity for settlements on both sides of the Bruinen might not be seen as a priority sufficiently pressing as to require the redeployment of one of the army’s engineers. If, however, the need for a bridge has a solid military basis, I will draw my superior’s attention to the matter and see what can be arranged.

Your list of building requirements is impressive in its length. Unfortunately it would require a small caravan to transport all these items, something difficult to conceal and likely to compromise the secrecy surrounding the valley’s location. I will make what arrangements I can. Small items such as sacks of nails should pose little problem but you will need to start producing bricks and suchlike in sita.

To my knowledge, Lord Elrond has no previous experience with any major construction projects, no.

I believe his majesty expressed some surprise at the additional points raised in your acceptance of his terms of service. The choice of second in command usually falls within the discretion of the head of the army (Lord Elrond) or becomes a personal appointment of his majesty’s choosing. One assumes this was not the case in Gondolin?

I would find it difficult to justify the additional expense of an agricultural expert. I could perhaps forward to you some literature on the subject? I am also surprised to hear there is no one in the refugee population able to communicate with the local flora. I would have assumed the presence of a number of silvan elves?

Forgive the question, but I have no experience in such matters - how would one go about asking a tree’s permission before cutting it down?

I have sent out a general directive regarding the domestic animal population of Eriador, asking that they be fed and cared for where practical. Rounding them up, as you expressed it, would be desirable but begs the question of where they could be kept. I share your concern for the cows, but were they to be formed into a herd, there would still be no safe refuge for them. Were there many calves? Having spent a few years on a farm in my youth, I know that cows need to be milked regularly, otherwise they become ill.

Erestor, Administrative Assistant to Senior Military Advisor Pathenien.
 

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To admin assistant Erestor.

My thanks for your prompt response to my letter. I hope everything goes well in Lindon. We hear very little about the progress of the war here, although we have just been inspected by an envoy from Lord Elrond and from him we learned something of our recent losses. On a personal note, has there been any word from my cousin Artanis Galadriel? When I left Lindon, her whereabouts had become a matter of concern to the king.

It is a fact that the hostilities in Eregion and Eriador have created a not inconsiderable refugee population with nowhere to go. I have command of a large, secure valley, and I refuse to turn away anyone my patrols might find fleeing aimlessly across Eriador. In this I follow the precedent set for me by Lord Elrond. These people need to be fed and housed, and to this end it seems practical to utilise the land across the Bruinen, creating a small, permanent community for those wishing to make a home here. In return for this, it is my hope that they will cultivate the yet to be planted crops.

I should explain at this point that the area we currently occupy is on an outcrop of land hard against the cliff face, close to the steep trail down from the high lands. We face sheer rock across swift-flowing water. Further down, this strip of land merges back into rock, but across the river gorge and around a small bend, the valley opens up. The river continues to follow the cliff, its course broken by a number of waterfalls, while on the opposite side the valley widens into a broad expanse of forest, thick brush and occasional open land.

If I have understood my brief correctly, our primary objective is to create a well-defended military strongpoint in Eriador. It needs to serve as both a base from which to launch operations against the enemy, and as a place where wounded warriors can rest and recuperate, thus avoiding the arduous and potentially dangerous journey back to Lindon. With all this in mind, the military justification both for two settlements and for a bridge to connect them is as follows…

With the refugees settled on the far side of the Bruinen, there will be more space here for the garrison, a desirable outcome as we have swift access to the open lands near the ford. (I enclose a rough diagram for clarification) As our crops will be planted (and harvested) on the far side of the river – attached to the proposed civilian settlement – we need a more enduring structure than the current rope bridge so that we can convey goods over to this side of the river. I assume food remains a recognised priority?

I do not request the services of an ‘expert’, merely an experienced farmer who can tell me which crops would do best in this valley and how to utilise the narrow strip of arable land along this side of the gorge. The soil here looks rich but the area is very moist due to the mist from the waterfalls. I find it hard to believe this would require any great expenditure on the crown’s part. I asked if we had someone amongst us skilled in such matters, but it appears not. People are still traumatised by their recent experiences, but I think will be enthusiastic about the challenges Imladris poses once they are assured they will not be ‘moved on’ as soon as some faceless bureaucrat deems it expedient.

I find it constantly frustrating that decisions of such magnitude are taken from a distance by people who have no concept of how it feels to be attacked, hunted, to have nowhere to shelter

On the matter of building supplies; it is all very well and good, Administrative Assistant Erestor, to say that we must manufacture our own bricks and mortar. I am properly sensitive to the need for secrecy – until we have the valley properly secured, all our lives depend upon it. However, until I have a suitably skilled person at my disposal to explain the process and recruit brick-makers, the building of permanent structures will have to wait. Equally, mortar. What exactly does mortar consist of? All I know, forgive my ignorance, is that it is a substance, usually grey, that holds bricks together. Do you have any suggestions?

In the matter of my second in command, I told his majesty that I want someone I can work with, not an elf who holds his position purely because his mother is related by marriage – distantly – to someone important. And yes, things were managed in much the same manner in Gondolin. And yes, I argued against it then, too, though with less expectation of a fair hearing than I had – justifiably – with his majesty. When I find someone suitable, I will of course consult with Lord Elrond before appointing him. Until then, I undertake to avoid doing anything inconvenient like getting myself killed - Lord Námo might be under-impressed to find me back in his Halls so soon.

Your question about the trees… I just wanted to do the right thing. It seemed churlish to invade their valley and chop them down without so much as a by your leave. The few silvan elves in our company have, in fact, been most helpful in pointing out potential sites where the trees are fairly thin, the area is protected and convenient to water, and the soil appears arable. I must thank you for your suggestion in this regard.

We have our first small flock of sheep. They were wandering around on the high ground beyond the valley and two of my warriors showed exceptional enterprise (and patience, to say nothing of perseverance) in getting them down the steep trail to the valley floor. They mark a beginning, small but encouraging. Eventually when their numbers have increased they will provide wool for weaving and, very occasionally, mutton for the table. I no longer eat meat, but I am told roast lamb is very popular in Eriador.

We – the refugee community and I – have discussed cows, but feel they would provide a somewhat greater challenge to introduce. There are disadvantages to life in an inaccessible valley.

Thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of the stray animals I mentioned. One of the dogs followed us and seems to have attached himself to me. He is a large creature, possibly, I am told, bred to work with cattle. He follows me everywhere, possibly fearing that I too will disappear as did his previous two-legged companions. I have named him Háran.

Yours,

Glorfindel of Gondolin.

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To do list
2. Decrypt signal from Balien.
Copies to :
     Pathenien
3. Suggest Pathenien demands full audit of stores at Gaernaith.
4. Lord Glorfindel - bricks
5. Complete essay for class; Harad, history and language.
6. Buy lamp oil!!!

To: Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, formerly of Gondolin.

Dear Lord Glorfindel,

The messenger had already left, but I am sending a rider after him with this packet. Please find enclosed a treatise on Basic Agriculture in Northern Regions, and a step by step guide to brick making, including diagrams of a simple kiln. I thought both works might be of some assistance. I note that for the processing of both bricks and mortar, the presence of materials such as clay and limestone appears necessary.

A.A. Erestor.

TBC

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Chapter End Notes

Beta: Red Lasbelin