Maker of Songs by Himring

She stands, bare feet wet with chill dew. High above her head, the lark trills in the brightening air. If Rian had been an elf, maybe she would have had a song ready to match? As it is, she lifts her arms mutely, inviting the bird song to percolate into head and heart. Maybe a song will come of it; she can hope.

The sun comes up fully over Dor-lomin, rising over hills and mountain peaks in the east. And all at once, Rian is sad again.

Yet the lark sings on, joy unquenched, and recalls her to the morning.

Chapter End Notes

For the quotation prompt "Like to the lark at break of day arising" (from the Shakespeare’s Sonnets bingo card).

Rian remembers, just about, visiting Aunt Beleth up in the pastures and hearing her call out to the cows, long melodious calls echoing along pine-clad slopes. They don’t do it like that here in Dor-lomin.

Aunt Beleth lived through the fires, but she was one of those who stayed on in Brethil. Rian has not seen her since.

Rian considers asking Morwen—and has to smile at the absurdity. Instead, she climbs half-way up Amon Darthir and simply has a go, calling out, not to cattle, but to Beleth and those others she had to leave behind on the way.

Chapter End Notes

For the prompt "Kulning as a form of communication" (from the "Let’s make some music!" bingo card).

I listened to a couple of YouTube videos on kulning for inspiration for this, especially NORDIC HERDINGCALL - Welcoming spring with kulning by Jonna Jinton.

There are goats in Dor-lomin, too, and goat bells tinkling merrily as the goats perform incredible climbs up sheer rock and balance effortlessly on loose scree.

Rian experiments with goat bells, and cow and sheep bells, shaking each in turn, as her hosts benevolently shake their heads. They indulge her, anxious to keep her happy, where they might try to rein in the fancies of one of their own.

She manages to astonish them with the tunes she can play on her carefully assembled set of bells! Morwen does not smile, but Rian knows her cousin is filled with pride.

Chapter End Notes

For the quotation prompt ‘Do you hear the many bells / Of the goats upon the fells / Where the valley tumbles down from the pines?’ (from the Elven Inspirations bingo card).

The quotation prompt is taken from "A Song of Aryador", an early poem by Tolkien published in Book of Lost Tales I.
Aryador is an early name of Hithlum, but some of the description in the poem sounds quite a lot like later descriptions of Dorthonion.

(Just in case it isn't clear, Rian is collecting an improvised set of musical handbells here; at various times I have seen musicians achieve astonishing effects with such handbells.)