Last night I had not thought it possible to close my eyes against the fear of the wolves I heard howling so close to our camp. My eyes wide, I kept staring out into the night and turning over and over, trying to get comfortable. It was impossible. After several minutes of rustling, I heard a soft voice whispering to me.
�You cannot sleep?� It was Lanthir, speaking from his position as watchman. He had not turned to look at me, so intent was his gaze into the night. I saw that his right hand held tightly to his sword.
�No.� I wanted to add that it was obvious I couldn�t sleep with all these unearthly howls around us and what a stupid question it was, but I caught myself just in time. He was the Lady�s son and I had determined to show him the same respect that I gave to his mother.
�Close your eyes, Pady Proudfoot, and listen.� I thought it was a ridiculous request. Hadn�t I been trying to do that earlier? But still, when I perceived Lanthir turning his head to see if I had done what he asked, I promptly lay still and closed my eyes. Then, just as another howl started, a strong, beautiful voice covered it in the night. I opened my eyes for a moment to see where the voice came from and realized with a start that it was Lanthir singing. Closing my eyes again, I listened and although the words were unknown to me, somehow I felt them in my very being. They were words of safety, and of love, and of comfort. I began to feel my body weigh heavily, as if someone was pressing me into the earth and before I knew it, my mind had slipped into a deep, silent slumber.
At first, my sleep was restful, dark and soothing. But somewhere in the night it took a turn for the worse. A strange, horrifying dream stole into my night, tormenting me with its vivid forms. Out of a swirl of grayish, unidentifiable figures came a vision so clear, I could have sworn I was in the midst of this story in truth. There were several Hobbits, marching along in a wilderness very much like the one I had gone into the day before, marching with stern eyes and determination in their steps. I felt admiration for the way they were taking their task with such ferocity, when out of nowhere they were attacked. Wolves were coming at them from all directions and they were being brutally murdered before my eyes. I had not seen the outcome of the attack when I was awakened by someone shaking my shoulder. Opening my eyes, it took me a moment to realign myself with reality: Lanthir�s face was staring gravely down at me, and I realized with relief that I was safe, in a terrible wilderness, yes, but not a Hobbit under attack. I was alive.
Breathing a long sigh, I sat up and saw that Priscilla was laying next to me, still in deep sleep, and that the sun had not even broken the horizon as of yet. Lanthir put his finger to his lips, motioning for my continued silence, and then pointed to the fire in the middle of our circle of now dim ashes. Walking with him to a fire still glowing strongly, I saw that he must have shot some kind of animal during the night, for there was fresh cooked meat laying on a stone.
�A deer wandered close early this morning. Have your fill and then we will continue our practice.�
As delighted as I was with the prospect of fresh food, I wanted to groan when I heard the word �practice.� I should have known. I wasn�t up early to eat; it was time for Lanthir to seek perfection once again. I must admit I ate as slowly as possible, but when the Elf continued to pace and glare at me, I figured I couldn�t make the meal last forever. When I was finished, we left the circle and walked a few feet away. I had just taken my bow in my hand when I remembered Priscilla.
�Priscilla! We can�t leave her alone!� I was just turning to go back when Lanthir put his hand on my shoulder and prevented me from walking back to her.
�She is safe. We can watch over her from here. Besides, the wolves have moved on.�
�How do you know?� I said it as a challenge. I didn�t trust that those evil beasts we had heard in the night would give up on prey so easily.
�Because I saw them.� There was Lanthir�s matter-of-fact way of speaking again. He talked as if he had only seen a pair of forest birds, rather than demons of the night. �They came within feet of our camp in the darkest part of the night. I did not see their bodies, but their eyes glowed red at me from the trees. There were a dozen of them that I could count. Possibly more beyond my sight. They only looked and then they moved on.�
I stared unbelieving. They had come so close? And I had slept through it? �Didn�t they make any noise?�
Lanthir shook his head and then I saw that this question caused him trouble. �They did not. I was confused by that fact last night and this morning, it concerns me. But I have followed their tracks and I am assured they have passed us on. Now, enough talk. You must learn what you can this morning. With such enemies as wolves in our path, your need to protect yourself is of the utmost necessity.�
Reluctantly I agreed, and thus began my morning of hand positions, bow fittings and the firing of arrows. Over and over again we went through the steps. Over and over again Lanthir corrected my mistakes. And although I was weary and fed up by the end of a second session of Lanthir�s training, I actually hit a tree right in the spot Lanthir chose and his broad smile made up for all the frustration of the day before.
�Well done, Pady! A perfect shot!�
Proud of what I had done, and satisfied that my morning had not been the waste I thought it would be, I ran back to the circle to tell Priscilla. To my horror, the place where she had lain was deserted. Looking wildly here and there, I saw her nowhere. Lanthir had been just behind me, and seeing what I saw, he drew his sword immediately.