Silmarillion Writers' Guild

Freya and Alexia came out of the lecture. “So, what was that about an ancient manuscript, again?” Alexia asked.

“A history student came to me in the studio…” Freya started again.


“This obfuscation is obviously sophisticated,” Alexia said when Freya had finished.

“There’s a lot I’m missing.”

“Of course. I’ll help.”

“Really?” Freya asked.

“It’s still early in the semester,” Alexia responded. “Let’s go to the Library now.”

Freya nodded and skipped briefly as she lead the way.


Olivia was looking up references to the rune in Aurora’s history. “There is still a lot!”

“These things take time,” Talia said. “But even so, we need to know where the manuscript was taken.”

“Maybe there’s a clue in the rune map,” Janara suggested.

“Or maybe it’s a misdirect,” Olivia said. “That it’s in a building that was built during the Nordic Era or afterwards.”

“That’s a possibility,” Talia said. “Are you writing these ideas down?”

“I am,” Janara said.

“I’ll record them later,” Olivia said.


Freya lead Alexia to the area in the Ancient Section. “Here we are!”

She found Janara and Talia looking over several print outs.

“Morning, Olivia.”

“I’m Janara.”

“Sorry,” Freya said. “It’s that I didn’t actually see her yesterday.”

“How’s that?” Alexia asked.

“My usual visual overwhelm, and she wasn’t here when I did the actual investigation,” Freya answered.

Alexia nodded

“Speaking of. We have found something,” Janara said.

“What is it?” Freya asked with her usual bounciness.


Freya examined the rune and the overlaid map, both the visual and tactile versions. “I have seen this rune before.”

“Where?” Alexia asked.

Freya glanced at Alexia. “It was in a history class in high school.”

“Do you remember anything else?” Janara asked.

“I probably need to look it up again,” Freya said.

“I’ll come with you,” Alexia said. “Just as well we looked at the information Science Section last week.”

“We’ll go there first, but the information is certainly in the Nordic Section,” Freya responded.

“So, we go around and around the Library, that’s fine,” Alexia said as they left the area.


Janara sighed. Freya’s energy was slightly overwhelming. “We’re still not getting anywhere.”

“This will take time,” Talia said.

“Hopefully not too long,” Janara said.

Olivia then returned. “Where’s Freya?”


Freya and Alexia entered the Information Science Section. “Where would the directory of the Nordic Section be?” Freya asked.

“We find the outline of the Library’s expansion again,” Alexia said.

“Then look at what’s in the Nordic Section!” Freya said excitedly.

“Exactly.”


They soon found the book they had looked at the week before. “Here is the Nordic Section,” Alexia said, “marked in yellow.”

Freya looked. “Nordic Languages, Linguistics of Auroric. Nordic Runes…”

“There,” Alexia said as she took out her tablet. “Row 13, Section Brynjar.”

“Got it,” Freya said as she jumped up.


The amount of shelves on the ground floor of the Nordic Section were intimidating to Alexia. There were far more than thirteen.

But Freya wasn’t. “Come on!” she said as she bounded into the area.

Alexia quickly followed her and could hardly keep up without running. “You really are full of energy, aren’t you?” she asked in a friendly way.

Freya giggled in response as she came to a brief halt. “Here it is.”

Brynjar – 13: Nordic Runes “No doubt there are lots of runes,” Alexia considered.

“True, but there are certain to be books about runes in general.”


It didn’t take Freya long to find such a book. “Comprehensive guide to Norse and Early Auroric Runes, Auroran Edition.”

“You can get an Auroric edition if you want.”

“I can translate it, but I’m sure it’ll be the same as the Auroran.”

Alexia shrugged. “Maybe it would be slightly more in depth.”

“I was going to get it anyway,” Freya added as she grabbed the Auroric version.

They found a reading table close by. Freya gave Alexia the Auroran version, while she opened the other.


“Here it is,” Freya said after a few moments. “It says that it’s said to offer protection.”

Alexia looked at it too. “So the question is, why a protection rune that matches the layout of the university at the start of the Nordic Era?”

“No idea,” Freya answered. “But I’m seeing it with a green tint here. Green has always represented Aurora’s land.”

“Like on the flag?”

“Exactly.”

“But there was no way they would know a synesthete would see it that way,” Alexia said.

Freya stood up and fidgeted. “That’s true,” she sat down again. “It could have been any colour, tone or texture.”

“But the green of Aurora’s land may be important.”

“Still, the rune and the map.”

“I may need to look at the plans of those buildings,” Alexia said.

Freya jumped up. “Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed the book she had been looking at.

“But maybe we need to check in with the others.”

“Sure.”

4th May 2025: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2025/05/church-notes-4th-may-2025.html

11th May 2025: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2025/05/church-notes-11th-may-2025.html

18th May 2025: https://fardell34.blogspot.com/2025/05/church-notes-18th-may-2025.html

Journey to the End
Elenia awoke. It was the day. The day she would leave on her journey. She looked at the time. 7.30. There was plenty of time to prepare.

…

“Morning, Elenia!” her mother said as she came out for breakfast.

“Morning, mother,” she said, formally.

“I’m going to miss you.”

…

The Journey usually started at midday. The reasons it would start at a different time mainly related to the weather.

“Elenia Caliandre Xanate Lana Pallandre is ready to undergo the journey all of us have started out on at her age,” the councilor said. “Learning of the world beyond the City. She’ll be away a year, leaning about it, and then bringing back the information.”

Elenia stepped forward with a smile. “Time to go,” she said, as she turned towards the gate.


The gate was at the eastern edge of the city, and had been built millennia before. The city had expanded to the north, south and west along the various valleys around the origin point.

Elenia walked along the paved path that lead from the gate, through the wild forest that grew on either side. She could hear the River, flowing on her right, to the south.

Fifteen minutes after passing through the gate, she came to the first of the Milestones.

First stone said; First Stop Tavern 25 kilometres.

That was the first stop, where Travellers stayed for the night.

She then saw the next stone. In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.

That she knew, that there was a Creator and that Humanity had rebelled, but not much more.

She thought on that as she continued walking.


Towards noon she met a person who was returning to the City.

“Greetings,” the person said. “Your eyes will be opened.”

That was a usual greeting one would say on the return stretch between the Tavern and the City. It was the Tavern that was the actual gateway to the world beyond the city. “Thank you, one who is returning,” she said.

The person chuckled and continued on their way back to the City.

‘Of course it will be opened,’ Elenia thought.


As she continued towards the Tavern she wrote down the inscriptions on the various stones as she passed them.


She found that they were mostly the first passage of the Book of Creation, which was something she hadn’t really thought about for a while. ‘I guess they want us to think about that as we go on our journey,’ she thought as she finally saw the Tavern shortly before sunset. It was a sprawling building with multiple stories. It was obvious that many of the wings had been added over time.


She walked into the Tavern several minutes later. Someone welcomed her at the door.

“Welcome traveler. If you go to the front desk, we’ll get you settled for the night.”

“Thanks.”


“Welcome, Elenia. The City has sent the relevant information ahead by radio as is usual,” the assistant said as he gave her a piece of paper. “Just sign here.”

“There’s obviously more people here than just the City,” Elenia commented as she signed.

“I’m sure you know that not everyone returns from their Journey.”

“It’s not possible to not know that.”

“You will see when you come down to the Common Room that there is a lot to the world that the City doesn’t teach you. That most of Humanity is outside of it.”


Elenia thought about it as she went to her room on the second floor. ‘Most of Humanity outside the City.’ She wasn’t sure what to make of that. ‘Maybe more people stayed away after their Journey’s than I thought.’

She found the room easily and quickly unpacked. “Here I am, at the first stop. It’s not what I expected.”


Elenia entered the Common Room and saw a diverse crowd of people. ‘A wide spectrum of humanity,’ she thought. Although the City’s population was mostly mixed, sometimes the extremes of phenotypic gene expression would rear themselves. She herself was a lot more pale than average, with hair of a rare yellowish hue. She looked around and saw that although there were other pale people there, their hair was mostly brown. She shrugged and went to the bar.

“From the north, are you?” the barmaid asked.

“No, I’m from the City, on my Journey.”

“Ah. Now I’ve got you. It’s rare that the City throws out those who look like they come from the north.”

“Right,” Elenia said. “I’d like a fruit juice.”

“Or a light mead? You are of age.”

“A small amount of light mead.”

“Sure,” the barmaid said.


Elenia went to find a seat. She overheard various other patrons talking about trade levels and weather conditions. She sat and then took out her tablet as she carefully sipped the mead. It had a slightly tangy flavour she didn’t expect. ‘Some additive or other,’ she thought as the tablet easily connected to the Tavern’s wireless network.


City Traveler on their Journey recognized. Welcome to the First Stop Tavern, Elenia
From here you’re on your own. Use your time at the Tavern wisely. Beyond the Tavern the world is unpredictable and the information at the Tavern may be outdated before you leave tomorrow morning, or whenever you choose to leave.

‘I knew that,’ Elenia thought. ‘But I’ll get some hints from here.’

Maps. Warning. Map data is relatively up to date for the Continent, but those of the island groups in the seas and oceans and of other continents are certainly out of date.

Elenia thought about that. ‘I guess I have to talk to people as I go, but that was what I thought would be the case.’ She picked on the maps page. She saw maps of the area around the Tavern, and a slightly zoomed out map of the City and the Tavern together at the top of the page. She started scrolling and saw increasingly zoomed out maps, until there was a map of the entire Continent at the bottom of the page. ‘This is going to take some time,’ she thought. ‘It would be better to talk to people about where they’re from and their travels.


“You’re on your Journey from the City?” The young lady answered.

“Yes,” Elenia answered.

“I’ve seen many such travelers. They were all different.”

“You probably haven’t seen them on their first night out.”

“Only one or two,” the young lady said. “What’s your name?”

“Elenia.”

“I’m Valeria. I’m from a place not too far to the north.”

“I see.”

“You have been looking at the maps?”

“I have been,” Elenia answered.

“There is more to the various places than what the maps show.”

“I know that, but they are a good start.”

Across the cafeteria, Quinn joined Stacy, Tori and Tiffany.
“Have you found out anything else?” Tori asked.

“Not much,” Quinn answered. “Daria and I are going to talk to him this afternoon.”

“What do you think he’s up to?” Stacy asked.

“I’m not sure. That’s what we’re going to try to find out,” Quinn responded.

“But, if he’s hiding something, won’t he just not say it?” Tiffany asked.

“That’s true. But Daria and I have different ways of asking,” Quinn answered. “It would be like good cop, bad cop, but different.”

“Not that different,” Stacy said.

“But different enough,” Quinn said.


Around 2:00, Xanthe had returned to the Historia, where Quentin Beck had yet to show up. ‘Suspicious,’ she thought. ‘But nowhere near proof.’ She then saw a journalist she was familiar with enter the café.

“Officer Peterson,” Penelope Jericho said. “I’d like an interview about what you have found out so far about the disappearance of Kalina Ondrovick.”

“On the record?” Xanthe asked.

“Of course.”

“Yes.”


Penelope ordered a coffee first, before she interviewed Peterson.

“First, off the record. I have sources that say that you cooperate with SpiderGirl, Ninja Talon, the fourth vigilante and now this Dafoanairi.”

“That’s true, regarding SpiderGirl and Ninja Talon. I haven’t met the fourth vigilante more than twice and the same is true of Dafoanairi.”

“And what is your reasoning regarding cooperating with them?”

“That it is best to cooperate than to be antagonistic,” Peterson answered.

“Good answer.”

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