The Old Lord TP: Conversation with Lord Telpekhor

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Weather:            Rainy

Time:               Mid Afternoon <17>

Season:             Winter

Date:               Orgilion - January 14, 3052

Real Time:          Wed Jan 26 20:06:52 2011

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The library of Nan Eiren serves also as the Lord\'s study. Its walls are lined with tall shelves containing neatly arranged rows of books. On one end, a fireplace crackles merrily, dispelling the damp and gloom of the rainy afternoon. A pine branch has been thrown in and it lends the room a smokey pine aroma, mixed in pleasantly with the smell of leather. Nearby, a large desk sits beneath a window.

Lord Telpekhor sits behind it, Head bent and writing in a ledger of some sort. His silver-hair gleams dully from the gray light sluggishly entering the rain-streaked window.

\"Lord?\" Knocking quietly at the study door and waiting on its threshold is Menelglir, warmly but casually dressed this evening, uniform and weapons not part of his attire. \"Forgive the interruption, sir. I was hoping to speak to you.\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

Looking up from his work, Lord Telpekhor nods to the young Squire. \"Please come in, lad,\" he invites and gestures to one of two chairs placed before his desk. \"What is on your mind?\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

Seeing his cousin at the door to the Lords study is Captain Aearon, as his younger cousin speaks he adds \"Yes my lord, we were hoping you had some spare time and could hopefully answer questions that could not be answered in Dol Amroth\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

Lord Telpekhor takes in the additional visitor with no expression of surprise. He gestures again to the chairs. \"So I surmised, Captain. Please sit and I will help you if I can.\"

\"Sir, Aearon,\" Menelglir says, twisting around to grin at his cousin before he enters and sits as invited. \"A man...a huge man, with two wolves at his side, such that I have never seen, he came to Dol Amroth and spoke of sending us \"messages\" to get our attention. A horse with two heads, stillborn. A flock of blue butterflies. And then taking our Prince.\" He is slient a moment, as if testing Turion for his reaction.

[Aearon(#16333)]

With a nod the Captain says \"Thank you my Lord.\" Entering the study he takes a seat and listens to the words of his cousin and says \"It took some doing, but I was able to get his name. Lord Lyre, he claims to be one of the old ones? A Lord of Old he said he was?\" sighing a moment \"I went through the libraries of Dol Amroth and was not able to find anything, no one seems to know who this Lord Lyre is or was..\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

The Telpekhor Lord\'s scarred face is unreadable. He leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers, saying nothing for several moments after the two men have spoken. \"I am afraid you must number me among those who have never head of this Lord Lyre,\" he says casually. \"Am I to understand you do not have this man in custody?\"

\"Custody? No, sir, no. Not at all. He was a giant. Bigger than any man I have ever seen. Not that his size would have stopped us from taking him in if there was need, but, well, sir, he was polite. He spoke of the old ways, old contracts. Of how the last he dealt with men and women, it was singing, poetry. Not war,\" Menelglir says.

\"Sir Gwendion...he seemed to think that if any would know of such men in the White Mountains, it would be the Telpekhiri.\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

With a nod as if agreeing with his younger cousin, the Captain says \"Menelglir is right my lord, He did not speak of war, rather of some sort of old pact between Gondor and him.. he would not go into detail. He simply chose who he wished to come, told me to bring another number of men along and then departed after giving us rather vague directions.\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

\"He said he was from the White Mountains?\" asks, Turion, surprise spreading across his creased face. \"There are people who live in the hills beyond the Lefnui. But I would hardly call them a noble folk. They are crude and simple, occasionally stirred to war. The Ered Nimrais are filled with naught but ancient memories and shades.\"

He frowns, looking at the two men critically. \"I would not agree you had no reason to take him into custody. Did you not just tell me he said he had something to do with Prince Imrahil\'s death?\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

Looking at his Lord the Captain says \"This Lord Lyre claimed that he held the Prince, I felt that if we tried to take him into custody he would either escape or be killed and we would not find out if he truly did hold the Prince. It was my decision to let he go so that we could follow in hopes of rescuing the Prince if he yet lives.\"

\"We act on the belief that Prince Imrahil is alive, lord. There is no choice in this matter, after all, for if there is the slightest chance he does live, we must go to this lord and bargain for his life. Whatever the cost,\" Menelglir says.

\"As for the folk in the hills beyond the Lefnui, I believe that is where we head. This Lord Lyre\'s directions were to cross the green hills, go north to the western river\'s flow. Then follow the river to its source, climb a small thing, then east and north. But we are not to go as far as the pass.\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

Relief floods the old lord\'s countenance. \"The Prince lives, then,\" he says quietly. \"This is welcome news indeed.\"

He settles his gaze upon Aeraon and nods his head. \"In this light, I understand your choice.\"

\"Take care of the Hill Folk. You are both too young to remember, but several clans united once and raided Pinnath Gelin, seeking vengeance for an old wrong wrought by Lord Hirluin and our House. They took Nan Eiren and held it for a while. We destroyed them and only a few survivors returned to their lands beyond the river. They do not love anyone bearing the name of Telpekhor.\"

\"If you intend to follow the river, you will not enter their lands but take care all the same.\"

\"He did seem to know the name Telpekhor,\" Menelglir says, forehead creasing with worry, which increases at Turion\'s tale. \"The Captain has brought men with us, to guard against attacks, but...well, I was warned that force of arms will not win our goal with this Lord Lyre.\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

With a nod the Captain says \"I brought with us twelve of my best men, I did not want to bring an army with us, strength of arms no matter the size would not give victory against this Lord Lyre, but some form of protection is needed when traveling through the land.\" Pausing for a moment \"If we run into any of these people across the river perhaps we should forget to mention our family name, so as to ease our travels.\"

[Turion.(#24692)]

\"A prudent move,\" agrees Turion, his eyes on Aearon. He glances to Menelglir. \"If the man and his people live in the parts of Ered Nimrais nearest to the Green Hills, then I am not surprised he knows our name. How did he indicate this knowledge to you?\"

\"He said only that the name was familiar to him,\" Menelglir answers. \"After Aearon introduced himself and asked for Lyre\'s name in turn. And...well, tis odd, but he came close and sniffed at us, and though I did not give my name, it seemed to me he knew Aearon and I were kin.\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

Leaning back in his chair the Captain says \"I wish I knew more about his man. But we will do what must be done to reclaim the Prince.\"

Turion arches one silver brow, his gaze upon Menelglir. \"The further north you go, the stranger the people are. We are on the edge of the realm.\"

\"And as such, I am not surprised such a southerly fief as Belfalas would have no record of this man in its library. But if Lyre is a family name and he knows of us, it is possible we once knew of his - or at least one of his ancestors.\"

\"Feel free to avail yourself of the Telpekhiri records. There are more kept in the driest part of the cellar - going back centuries, as it happens. Though I do not know if you need go back so far.\"

\"We will not linger here many more days, but I will do what searching I can in that time,\" Menelglir says. \"We are here just long enough to rest man and beast, and then north into the mountains in winter. As we had agreed, Aearon. WE press on, though we are not a party of war. But perhaps the cold weather will keep the..\" he glances to Turion, continuing, \"keep the strange people from coming out to cause trouble.\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

\"We leave in a day or so my lord, if we were all soldiers and men of war I would have had us push through after but a days rest and time enough to bid you hello. But unfortunately we are not, so we must take that into account, so we have stayed here longer so as allow our less hardy companions to prepare\" says the Captain.

\"As you wish,\" replies Lord Telpekhor. \"You are welcome to stay as long as you need. I wish you well on your mission.\"

\"Thank you, Lord. Perhaps if things go well,\" Menelglir starts, then changes his mind and forces a smile instead. He stands. \"in any case, I will search our records early tomorrow and see if it turns anything up. Would you excuse me now, though? I want to turn in and get an early start.\"

[Aearon(#16333)]

With a smile the Captain says \"I thank you my Lord, I am sure we will stop here upon our return trip. I think I too will retire for the night, thank you for your time.\" Getting to his feet he bows politely and makes for the door.