The Bard : A Tale From Middle Earth

Chapter 4

I glide back up the stairs as the crowd deminishes. The ones from before are with the king, and as I move to pass someone is explaining what happened to his son.

"Do you wish to see him my lord?" I suggest quietly. The men turn to me and the king walks forward to stand over me.

"And who would you be?"

"Makila, my lord. I was brought to the palace to receive aid by Éomer and Éowyn after I arrived. Our company was lost to the same orcs that took your son, my lord. We used to trade here many years ago."

"Makila, from Déryn's group. Traders and Bards weren't they?"

I feel my chest tighten as he speaks the name of a man who raised me, who can no longer be here.

I cannot cry here. "Yes, lord. I have the list of names, both for your own records and to send home. But sir, elsewhere requires your attention at the moment. I was recruited to assist in preparing your son. Please follow me to see him."

I give a quick low bow and head inside the palace with a small company trailing me. Éowyn seems to falter and turns toward her own room as we go into the prince's.

His ceremonial clothing is dawned, I and the other preparers only just finished his face paint to give him color and preserve his corpse. The young man laying here looks more asleep then anything, and the smell of the oils for preperation smell like wild flowers. He even holds a small flower between his hands.

The king calls out for the guards to prepare the burial stone and prepare to carry the prince to his new grave. He dismissed the others as tears begin to well up in his eyes.

I exit the room quietly and move towards the kitchens. The cook is happy to see me return and hands me many dishes to set upon the tables for his dinner preperations.

I quickly roll back my dark sleeves and get to work helping him and preparing four seperate meals myself.

First there is the dwarf. From my readings I knew the basics of dwarven necessities. Malt beer, fresh cooked meat and many seasonings. Little to no greens, perhaps beans of some kind.

The blonde, even the average eye could see the elven ears. The Lorien elves are a well balanced yet small portioned meal of necessities and didn't need to eat as often as the other races. But I had never seen him in Lorien, so he more than likely came from Mirkwood. Woodland elves from there were known for liking of wine, especially ones as old as they. I grab a small keg from the back of the cellar and dust it off with a clean rag.

The old man probably would prefer a vegetable stew of some kind. He may be old but after being close enough for him to speak next to me I could see he was not weak, just aged.

The other man, strong with presence. Probably royalty of some kind. But his clothes were of ranger quality. He must not care for appearances as much as functionality. Meat and vegetables with fruit or berries would have to do.

After I gathered the ingredients to begin preperations I looked out the slit window to see the funeral progressing as his body glides into the crypt.

The hill face holds a sad song as Éowyn cries her words to her passed cousin.

When they dispersed I was finishing the stew and moving it into bowls. By far the only thing I found wrong with this was the elf's. Would he even eat this? He is on a journey, perhaps it will be a source of strength. But it has been made by those who eat food seasoned. What if I prepared it in a rude way?

The king was standing in the field with only Gandalf and the graves of previous kings. They turn to head back up the path.

The door in the hall opened a few times and as people entered the guards began moving the tables into place.

The guests as well as a few of those staying within the palace began to sit around tables.

The cook began to take food from the kitchen nodding to me so I would do the same. I went for the man's food and drink, while grabbing a beer in my other hand.

I gave the man his items, placing a beer in front of the dwarf who smiled as he smelled it. He seemed to gulp down a quarter of it in no time flat. I held in a quiet laugh as I returned to the kitchen.

As I approach the table again I place his plate and another mug of beer, taking his already empty mug.

I return to the kitchen bringing a small plate of food and placing it down in front of the seat beside the man, and the man looks at it confused.

"For your friend" I motion to the elf who also looks curiously at the plate "I assumed he may not wish for our normal food."

I place the wine glass down as well and see the man turn to the elf with a smirk on his lips. I go back to the kitchen for one last run.

I place the bowl of stew and bread beside the dwarf with a large glass of water.

"For Gandalf?" The man asks with the smirk still in place. I nod simply and set down a third mug of beer next to the almost full one in front of the dwarf.

I stop for a moment in my suprise as I realize the elf is now sitting upon the seat next to the man.

I didn't realize I was staring until the man spoke and attracted my attention "I am Aragorn, that" he motions to the dwarf "is Gimli, and this" he motions with his head to the elf "is Legolas."

I nod simply and before I can turn around he continues "You said your name is Makila, who gave you this name?"

The men who raised me, but I could not say so. Tears threatened to fall once again and I smiled it away "It was a bard. He said I reminded him of a song."

"It is a smart name."

"Smart?" I, now intrigued, look back up to his stoic face that looks into his food as he thinks aloud.

"In many languages 'ma' or 'mal' means golden. And 'kila' spelled forwards means mesmerising, but backwards it means voice. A very fitting name for a bards daughter."

"Unfortunately, I was not his daughter." I mutter under my breath.

"Makila, can you help me with this?" I leave quickly to assist the cook.

"Two children just rode in from a far village, we need a quick stew."

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Hey guys, GSBreak on break! Going nuts from the extra work hours but other than that it's pretty nice to not have class.

This series probably won't be as long as you expect it. Let me know if you think I should extend this more than two more chapters, I would love to hear from you guys. Add a 'fave' star or a comment to let me know your thoughts on this. I look forward to the debate!

Thanks for reading and see you next chapter!