New fic : "Idylls of the Queen - Vignettes from the Reign of Arwen and Aragorn Ch 31"
In which Mablung briefs the Steward's Council about some of his job
"Finally, my lords and ladies, the male approaches the female, as it were, under cover, bearing a branch of an odoriferous shrub to disguise his scent. Mugwort is popular but we have also observed a male using wild catnip. We observed that all surviving males also took care to provide the female with a very large piece of food, Sir. Mostly a piece of game animal, though once it was a leg of orc.”
There was a mild frisson among his audience and in response to the unvoiced but obvious question he added, “We tracked that one back and exterminated the nest afterwards, sirs, no worries. Um, otherwise, at the climax of the, ah, act, the female, not being otherwise distracted, will grasp the male's head with her claws, tear it off and eat it. Sir."
Mablung stood at rest, his gaze carefully avoiding anyone's eye. His former Captain, now his Prince, gave him a friendly nod, and he resumed his seat.
"I see." Faramir considered this. "That last is fairly common behaviour among spiders of the regular sort, is it not? I recall catching them in hedges on the Pelennor in my boyhood..."
"Yes, sir. It’s easier to, ah, observe the details when they’re the size of wolfhounds, sir."
"I imagine that it is." The Steward of the Reunited Kingdom glanced around at his Council. It looked collectively queasy, except for the Secretary, who was taking copious notes. There was no sign of dissent to the proposition before it, however.
"Captain, thank you for your report. The Council commends your efforts and the information that you have given us. I believe that we are decided, then? Clearly our friends, being notable hunters, are quite capable of feeding their, er, herd? flock? as necessary. They have already given us firm assurances that no harm will be allowed to come to our folk resettling in Ithilien.”
There were nods around the table. The presentation had been both interesting and unnerving, especially for people who had fought Sauron and now strongly preferred to live and keep living mundane and uneventful lives. The consensus of the Council was that they should get this agenda item over with as quickly as possible, and move onto the equally important but also delightfully dull issue of the cost-sharing for the drainage works in lower Anorien.
Faramir made a note in his tablets and said formally, “My lord Secretary, please note that as Prince of Ithilien and Steward of the Reunited Kingdom, and upon the advice of my Council, I have requested and required Captain Mablung to convey to Master Legolas the acceptance of his proposal by Their Majesties; to whit that the Wood-Elves of Ithilien may maintain the last surviving breeding colony of the giant spiders of the Ephel Duath, strictly for the production of spider-silk, and with the unbreachable obligation of all due care for the safety of the general populace.
It is so decided.”
"Finally, my lords and ladies, the male approaches the female, as it were, under cover, bearing a branch of an odoriferous shrub to disguise his scent. Mugwort is popular but we have also observed a male using wild catnip. We observed that all surviving males also took care to provide the female with a very large piece of food, Sir. Mostly a piece of game animal, though once it was a leg of orc.”
There was a mild frisson among his audience and in response to the unvoiced but obvious question he added, “We tracked that one back and exterminated the nest afterwards, sirs, no worries. Um, otherwise, at the climax of the, ah, act, the female, not being otherwise distracted, will grasp the male's head with her claws, tear it off and eat it. Sir."
Mablung stood at rest, his gaze carefully avoiding anyone's eye. His former Captain, now his Prince, gave him a friendly nod, and he resumed his seat.
"I see." Faramir considered this. "That last is fairly common behaviour among spiders of the regular sort, is it not? I recall catching them in hedges on the Pelennor in my boyhood..."
"Yes, sir. It’s easier to, ah, observe the details when they’re the size of wolfhounds, sir."
"I imagine that it is." The Steward of the Reunited Kingdom glanced around at his Council. It looked collectively queasy, except for the Secretary, who was taking copious notes. There was no sign of dissent to the proposition before it, however.
"Captain, thank you for your report. The Council commends your efforts and the information that you have given us. I believe that we are decided, then? Clearly our friends, being notable hunters, are quite capable of feeding their, er, herd? flock? as necessary. They have already given us firm assurances that no harm will be allowed to come to our folk resettling in Ithilien.”
There were nods around the table. The presentation had been both interesting and unnerving, especially for people who had fought Sauron and now strongly preferred to live and keep living mundane and uneventful lives. The consensus of the Council was that they should get this agenda item over with as quickly as possible, and move onto the equally important but also delightfully dull issue of the cost-sharing for the drainage works in lower Anorien.
Faramir made a note in his tablets and said formally, “My lord Secretary, please note that as Prince of Ithilien and Steward of the Reunited Kingdom, and upon the advice of my Council, I have requested and required Captain Mablung to convey to Master Legolas the acceptance of his proposal by Their Majesties; to whit that the Wood-Elves of Ithilien may maintain the last surviving breeding colony of the giant spiders of the Ephel Duath, strictly for the production of spider-silk, and with the unbreachable obligation of all due care for the safety of the general populace.
It is so decided.”