"I found the way into the dark," Hobbitish hands once wrote. "I've gotten in! And I shant be turning back. I've come too far, too long, too soon! I've broken through and I'll be going all the way in, mark my words."
"I've looked and looked for what's I've found, and I shant be turning back - not now, not ever. The Missus will never know what became of me, and the hobbit lads and lasses - well, they'll think of me kindly. I'm sure they'll have a burial for me and say many of the best words about my outstanding character and influence in the community. "
"Dear Maeflower, well... she'll wonder the most, but they as soon shall make a fine hobbit lass of her and then she'll know what a puffed-up codger her old pop really was. It's for the best. I've filled her head up with enough stories and adventures of faraway places ... Before I left, I told her that I was going off to find the place the elves all sail to, and that when I got there I'll just not have the heart to leave - that I'll lay down bare naked in the white grass and stay there til one of them elves pours white wine from them heavenly fields on my face! Well, everyone will say I got drunk and drowned down by the Brandywine instead, and someday Little Mae will believe it too. I don't have to worry."
"The truth is better unknown. No one should think the wiser, and no one shall come looking for me. To think, a hobbit in the Iron Hills? Why, no seree! They shant be thinking it for a minute. But that's where I get in, and now I shant be going back. Bless them all, they haven't a thought for what I've really found. I've said my goodbyes, more or less. I left gifts for the old ones I couldn't think to tell, and the little ones have the Missus for their mum to turn my stories out their ear. My belongings, when they're searched, are all evenly distributed. My final will and testament is all in order. All the old chaps at the Green Dragon who made a mock of me - well, I've left them something clever too. I'm off to my greatest adventure and there's no turning back!"
~ Totterbold (Tater) Tooke
[Someone said this letter came out of Dale. It was found stored among the family's old belongings, but no one seemed to know what kind of a name "Totterbold" was. The previous owner believed it to be a made-up name for a children's game of treasure-seeking.]
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The next is a page from a ledger, citing such currency as gold ducats, silver pennies, and fine gem stones among detailed accounts of handcrafted treasures. The page appears to be complete in its calculations of the total sum value of each item described, and includes a comprehensive list of family heirlooms. Judging by the items listed on this latter portion, it appears the owner must have been of Dwarven descent. A historian might also note the influence of the Blue Mountain dwarves in the descriptions of item details. No name is cited on the ledger, however, and the page itself is stained brown in several places by old dark blood.
[This ledger page was said to be found by one of the hobbitish folk helping Dorus the Book Keeper clean out the Grand Hole attic. No one seems to know who it belongs to, as none of the items on it correlate with the kinship treasury. It has yet to be thrown out.]
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"The Clerk of Kinships at Michael Delving feels it appropriate to document a census of all organized parties in the Shire. As such they obligate all listed parties to keep an annual report - something I have neglected in past years, if you'll understand.
There is always a conference accompanying the return of a report to inform us of, eh, new regulations and such - all the general affairs of town meetings 'concern every resident of the West Farthing' and so forth... And of course they insist only 'authorized' persons attend.
As there are far too many things to be done here, I have asked Lilliway if she would assist in alleviating the matter from my mind."
[This letter was found in the Grand Hole library during a dusting. It appears to be in Skalithor's handwriting and is dated December 11th. On the back is an impressive, albeit secretive, recommendation presenting Lilliway Tooke as "Kinship Leader" of the "Mallorn Children". ]
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[The following is a few pages from a written record of kinship proceedings in Evendim during the dark days of the Rune Hunter and the Siege of Annuminas. The handwriting is unknown.]
The companies had poured into Annuminas by various byways, some entering by the main gate, while others slipped in by unguarded cracks in the walls and crept up to the besieged camp of Echad Garthadir. It was the strict direction of Little Bear, or General Mountainzephyr, or whatever other name each person had come to know Skalithor by, that when the companies had entered the camp that they were then wait there and help the King's men defend it until Skalithor himself should join them.
It was not surprising that the children of Beorn should be the first to have arrived, for they had very little to conclude at the Kinship homes and had been waiting solely for the time to act. Bodvir and Ragnbourg, a company of two, entered through the water gate of Annuminas and swam about the fallen and flooded old city walls. They leveled the sharp-eyed scouts posted there, and continued their journey inward until they found Echad Garthadir.
While Bodvir went immediately to the aid of the wounded and fallen upon entering the encampment, Ragnbourg went to the aid of the battle in other parts of the city and tore down the barricades of the enemy. Thus engaged, the Beorning were found absent when the Gondorian Champion, Tyrral Jones, arrived in Echad Garthadir some days later with those who were chosen to accompany him.
Immediately the Champion sought out news of the General from his countrymen within the camp, but he heard very little more than that the dwarf was indeed somewhere within the city and doing some work which must for the moment be left unknown to all, yet likely done in preparation for the companies. So after a long battle into the city, Tyrral instructed his company to rest in the camp before taking up the fight against the nearly constant assaults of the Angmarim loyalists.
The last of the parties to join the siege in Annuminas was Thannor's company, which on account of some dispute had been prematurely relieved of two of its most valuable members, Hawkinz and Tarvhos.
Thannor arrived by the main gate, his company tore the greatest path directly through the most besieged parts of the city and entered Echad Garthadir at dusk. A storm having risen off the lake of Evendim began its tear-shed in earnest shortly thereafter, and lightening made sleeping that night difficult for all under its sound and torrent.
When the Second and Third companies made their way back to Echad Garthadir that night, the Kinship members gathered in a brief and solemn reunion. Among Thannor's company was a woman from the far south country of Haradwaith, by the name of Mosaine, who Thannor had appointed place among the Kindred for her valiant fight against the Angmarim and Nilithion's Champion: Deathscar the Blood-eyed, who had served with Draklevin Black in the days of Sauron and the Ring.
The joining of Mosaine to the cause of the Mallorn Children on account of her great skill in battle, and the absence of the two best archers from the First company, should have rightfully made it a reason to rejoice, but her presence was regarded with coldness by the Gondorian men in the companies, more especially Tyrral Jones and Captain Evonfall, who discussed the matter between themselves, (albeit the latter's prejudice appeared very mild, if not pretended, and he seemed to entertain it only account of his countryman.)
When all that could be thought of to say had been said, the Kindred slept on their swords - for every moment a cry sounded somewhere within the city as the battle raged on. A gloomy cloud seemed to rest on all, both in mind and body, for the storm had not passed. Though there were some that seemed to be determined to be helpful and cheerful, such as Bodvir, whose optimism had never failed, many in the camp were silent and grave whenever there was a moment to rest.
Five days in the city had seen a great many victories and some defeats waiting for Skalithor. It was hard to measure the overall success of the companies and the King's men fighting within the city, but it had been seen that Opalescence and her pirate crew cut off the enemy's supplies and reinforcements from the lake, while further up in the city the battle of Skalithor and his company went unknown to those at Echad Garthradir. Armor and supplies had begun to grow scarce, and plans were made to barter with the pirates for a portion of their plundered loot. The Angmarim began to take to their strongholds for support and battles in the night were less often, nonetheless the Angmarim fought fiercely to retain those strongholds and little success was had in penetrating them. [….]
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"An old pesky crow has been hanging around here lately. Like a daft wretch he is - always crooing at me and looking at me with them red eyes. I get an awfully unnatural feel from 'im, like a rat waitin' til you fall asleep so he can chew the soles off your feet he is!"
"I've written yeh a few times to have that miserable bird shot, but he keeps eating me letters. Thrice I've caught im! Beak stuffed full of papers, shipping to and fro like some carrier pigeon. I thought at first there was some sense to it, that he was building a nest for a lady-bird, but I tell you he hasn't the brain any lady would want! He'll steal and dash off and I won't see him again for many days, then he'll be back scaring me cows. Yes, that's right, the cows all turn mad when he flies over. It takes me hours to get them back, and he'll just sit on the branches laughing at me the devil. Well. This is the final note I'm writing, and it best find it's way to you at Trestlebridge. I don't pay a bale of barley to you for protection just to have my cows scattered. Get rid of im!"
[This letter was written by an unknown hand and was found on the road between Trestlebridge and the Northdown farmlands. No carrier was nearby … perhaps the letter simply fell out of his bag by mistake.]
