Ofnir set on a cold rock, wrapped in his cloak like an old shepherd, staff resting on his lap. He'd no tent with him in which to sleep. His horse was sound asleep. His eyes then opened.
”We've no more than four hours before we depart,” he said. ”You better sleep, Calariel. Or you'll be wishing you had tomorrow. I'll keep watch tonight.” He looked at his staff and added: ”My way As another gift to you all. One you'll appreciate much more than jewelry, I believe.” He chuckled and went back to his closed-eyes sleeplessness.
Come sun-up, Ofnir was waiting for them together with a fish prepared above a new fire for everyone, prepared just in time for them when they wake up. He had taken the duties of a cock that morning and woke them with a poke of his staff, or several of them in some cases. ”Arise! Arise!” he said already poisoning himself with some forsaken flavor of weed he'd picked in the forest and somehow managed to dry already.
The trees around them were young, and not as great as their cousins farther north, but they'd be meeting them soon enough. Them, and others far more peculiar and alien, although just as naked. ”You have half an hour! We must hurry! Come on, up you go!”
He moved to the edge of the camp, just behind one of their tents and looked towards the hills in the distance. ”Hopefully we'll crest the first ridge and bivouac in those hills up there, or in a cave preferably. It has to be 30 miles to cover. It shouldn't be too hard on the horses.”
The path he'd intended to use was an old hunters' path, used for ages. It went through the woods, next to creeks, then down into a narrow meadow with a small pond, and again up among the shrubs, bushes and grass the lower parts of the hillside into the stony upper parts against the northern wind. Once they're up, they'll have to make their own paths, for none went further before without using the ancient highway of the kings of Angmar which they hoped to avoid at all costs.
”We've no more than four hours before we depart,” he said. ”You better sleep, Calariel. Or you'll be wishing you had tomorrow. I'll keep watch tonight.” He looked at his staff and added: ”My way As another gift to you all. One you'll appreciate much more than jewelry, I believe.” He chuckled and went back to his closed-eyes sleeplessness.
Come sun-up, Ofnir was waiting for them together with a fish prepared above a new fire for everyone, prepared just in time for them when they wake up. He had taken the duties of a cock that morning and woke them with a poke of his staff, or several of them in some cases. ”Arise! Arise!” he said already poisoning himself with some forsaken flavor of weed he'd picked in the forest and somehow managed to dry already.
The trees around them were young, and not as great as their cousins farther north, but they'd be meeting them soon enough. Them, and others far more peculiar and alien, although just as naked. ”You have half an hour! We must hurry! Come on, up you go!”
He moved to the edge of the camp, just behind one of their tents and looked towards the hills in the distance. ”Hopefully we'll crest the first ridge and bivouac in those hills up there, or in a cave preferably. It has to be 30 miles to cover. It shouldn't be too hard on the horses.”
The path he'd intended to use was an old hunters' path, used for ages. It went through the woods, next to creeks, then down into a narrow meadow with a small pond, and again up among the shrubs, bushes and grass the lower parts of the hillside into the stony upper parts against the northern wind. Once they're up, they'll have to make their own paths, for none went further before without using the ancient highway of the kings of Angmar which they hoped to avoid at all costs.