Roswehn of Dale

Laketown crows

"You should not have let her go!" Edith snorted. She had gone to see Yohlande and Hannes, after learning that the girl had sent a message.
All three sat around the large table in the center of the living room.

"What the hell does that mean, I'll come back when my mind is ready to face life, what kind of nonsense is that?" she said.

"Regan has written to Bard that she is fine, and that is enough for me, fortunately the Elves are treating her with respect." the man answered.

"And who guarantees you that she wrote that letter? They could have kidnapped her and sent a false message, you've lost  your brain, I tell you ..." the flower woman said angrily. "If she was my daughter I would have never let her go!"

"She's not your daughter, Edith, she's my daughter, and I recognize her writing, now stop it, please." said Yohlande.

"I remind you that she grew up with me, she always came to visit my rose garden when she was young: that child spent hours with me, and I chose her name when she was born in this miserable world. I feel like she's mine partially...and unlike you two, I am worried.!"   Edith answered. "You left her alone with those ... those ... pointy eared creatures! I bet they locked her up in one of their dark caves." the woman continued.

Edith felt an indestructible disdain for the Elves, the Dwarves, the Wizards and all the other creatures other than Men. Had it been for her, Arda should have been populated only by the Mortals, in spite of the fact that Men had appeared in Middle-earth long after the Elves.

"If she stayed in Dale she would be lonely and sad ... Edith, would you have preferred this for her? I do not know if her trip will be a good idea or not, in the end ... but I know for sure now that she is more satisfied than she was here. " Hannes told her. He hated arguing with Edith, that woman could not keep her mouth shut.

"Say what you want...I believe that now she is in chains and Thranduil is laughing at you!" Edith answered. "Having Viktor's niece in his hands  ...Elves do not forget, dear Hannes. "

"You saw Lord Elrond when he came here. Was he rude, for you? He's a Lord, one of the few, true Lords I've ever known. You know I didn't like Elves in the past. Now I'm changing my mind thanks to him...I never thought I would have said it ... "smiled Hannes, shaking his head in amusement. But he knew they were wasted words. Edith was more stubborn than a donkey.

"A Lord ... well I do not sleep in a cave, I do not eat berries and roots, I do not undress in front of everyone to wash under an icy waterfall ..." the woman protested.

"... thank God ..." Hannes murmured, holding back a laugh. Yohlande gave him a reproachful look.

"... and those things are more civilized than us, for you? Nah, you will never convince me of this." She spat, making a gesture with her hand as if to drive away a fly. "Besides, Thranduil is not like Elrond, he and his people are smart as little demons, I just hope they do not put their hands on her or I'll go in person to that forest to set everything on fire, I swear on my dead mother."

"I wouldn't be too worried about that, they say that the Elves are very chaste: in all their immortal life they seem to experience physical love a few times, and after having a child, they stop." said Yohlande.

"Chaste? Are you serious?! Those beings are obsessed with human women ... if they could, they would impregnate all the girls of this city and would fill our houses with little half-blood monsters ..." Edith retorted sharply.

"This reminds me of the day when Regan was born ..." Yohlande added.

"Yeah, that day." said the florist. "I remember that day well ... I helped you to give birth, along with Bard's mother, and then that thing happened ..."

"Do not talk about it ... I do not want to remember that ... please." Yohlande replied. She was pale.

"Yes, it was a bizarre fact to say the least ..." Edith continued, almost in a whisper. Her eyes were lost in an indefinite point, as if she was daydreaming. "I still wonder where they came from...Where all those black beasts came from ..."

"Enough, please. Now excuse me, I have to go." Yohlande said, and suddenly stood up. Then she left the room.

"What's wrong with her?" asked the flower lady, upset.

"You know what's wrong. What happened that day was the main reason why the people of Laketown were always so cold with my daughter, the reason why many have always kept her at a distance like plague ..." sighed Hannes.

"Ignorant people, my friend ..." Edith said.

"Yes, but Regan suffered for that, and my wife too ..." Hannes answered sadly. "Unfortunately, my brother played his part in that, with his insinuations ..."

"What a horrible thing, he was her uncle, for God's sake, same blood, he should have protected her, may Eru blame him!" Edith growled. "Sorry if I tell you, but your brother and that loser you had for nephew got what they deserved." said Edith.

Hannes stood up and ran a hand through his thinning hair. The florist was right. Poor Regan.

"Do you remember what Viktor used to say - that your daughter was cursed ... For those crows ... those crows ..." Edith said.
"I tried to chase them out. I stepped out and stoned them, but they did not move, Hannes, for all of Yohlande's ordeal they stayed on your roof like many black soldiers, they flew away only when ... " then Edith he could not continue.

"... when Regan cried for the first time." Hannes finished.

"... they all spread their wings and flew to the west ... I followed them with my eyes." Edith continued, as if talking to herself. "As if they had waited for a signal ..."

"As if they were carrying the news of her birth somewhere." Hannes added. He also felt a shiver.

"Nonsense, my friend," Edith's husky voice brought him to reality. "Those birds gathered on your roof just to rest after a long flight, nothing more, it was not that child's fault if the people of Laketown have always been a bunch of superstitious sheeps."

"Yes, I know that, so I'm glad she's far from here." he said. "Regan has always been alone, but it does not mean that she will remain so, maybe her happiness is elsewhere."

"Roswehn! How many times I have to repeat it, to all of you ..." the woman said. "Her name is Roswehn."