Questionable Wisdom by Grundy

Chapter 1

Carnistir counted a hundred before he opened the door.

His steward, bless the man, had flatly refused to let his cousin up to his rooms. (He could have a week off. And anything else he wanted. Keeping Ingo out of his private rooms would deserve a reward at any time, but in the middle of the night especially.)

Why was Ingo even on this side of Beleriand? Was he not meant to be hunting in the south of Himlad with Kano?

“Ingo, given that I am assured we are not under attack, what under the stars can be so flaming important that you woke me at this beastly hour?” he demanded.

“I found something new,” his cousin proclaimed.

The exuberant joy on his face was normally contagious, but Carnistir would have happily been still asleep.

“People!” Ingo continued rapturously. “But not elves – though they look very like us.”

Carnistir pinched the bridge of his nose. Was it possible this was merely an outlandish dream?

“They sing, but not in any tongue I’ve ever heard. I thought I had better tell you at once, since they’re closest to your lands – I stumbled across them near the source of Thalos. I don’t believe the Khazâd know of them yet either!”

“Wonderful. I thank you, Ingoldo. But did you have to tell me at three in the morning?”