Ficlet: The Value of the Written Word
Please note that this little story as well as 'Maluchen', 'Of Delicate Matters' and the one I'll post in a couple of days are all from the third part of my Haldir-story, 'Imladris'. Therefore, if you prefer to read the entire story in the right order and wish to avoid spoilers, you should not read these now.
Thank you to Cal for the betaing and my friends at GoI for support and 'critters'!
Haldir stopped at the threshold. Maluchen pushed him through the double doors, but could not make him follow down the centre aisle, and so turned back.
‘What is it, Haldir?’
‘This room - I never saw anything like it!’
It was one of the largest rooms he had ever been in. His eyes travelled the expanse of it, taking in the windows on three sides; the library filled the entire wing of the first floor. What stunned him the most was the contents of the room.
Row after row of bookcases, lined as orderly as an army marching to battle, stretched towards the far wall. Incalculable numbers of books and scrolls paraded on wooden shelves and the power of so much learning seemed oppressive to Haldir.
What secret knowledge do they hoard here, the Golydh?
Maluchen went over to the nearest bookcase and began studying the works stored there. Haldir cautiously approached the tall structure from the other side. Shelves loomed above him, the uppermost so high it was far out of his reach.
Not even the tallest of the Golydh are that tall!
He bit his lip and bent to start his search from the bottom. He knew only a few of the titles, but suddenly his eye caught some familiar words: The Lay of Nimrodel. He stood, surprised.
‘They even wrote down one of our songs! What is the purpose of that?’
‘Well, it’s practical if you forget how it goes,’ Maluchen suggested. Haldir glared at him through an opening between the books, but since his friend had his back turned he never noticed and Haldir belatedly realized that Maluchen had spoken in earnest.
‘Only a child would forget a song! And if they forget, they ask one of the elders,’ Haldir explained, stretching his limited patience for the sake of his ignorant friend.
‘What if they’re all dead?’
Haldir was about to retort with a scorching remark about the likeliness of that happening when he remembered the stories of Gondolin and Maluchen’s recount of his family history. He bit back his words.
‘Well, yes, I suppose it makes sense,’ he grudgingly agreed.
Maluchen nodded and, giving up his random search, went to ask the librarian for information on Silvan courting rituals.
Haldir followed Maluchen over to the librarian’s desk and watched curiously while the Elf’s nimble fingers put little cards into small wooden boxes. The librarian caught his interested look and smiled.
‘With this system we keep track of everything in the library. Each of these little cards represents one book or scroll. The cards go into boxes according to their subject, for instance - ’
‘Silvan courting rituals?’ Haldir interjected and managed a minute smile at the other’s knowing look.
The librarian nodded. ‘Yes, yes - excellent example! Now let’s see ... ‘
Boxes lined the shelves behind the librarian who turned and walked determinedly towards the end of the line. He studied the titles written on each box.
‘Ah! Here it is! Eldar - Rituals - Marriage and Courtship.’ He pulled out a box, picked up one of the cards and studied it for a moment before triumphantly announcing his findings.
‘Silvan Courting Rituals, as gathered by Istuinir: Row 5 west, bookcase 4, bottom shelf!’
Haldir thanked the librarian profusely for his help and turned to Maluchen to share his excitement over this ingenious system, only to recognize the glazed-over look in his friend’s eyes. It was the same look he had noticed in Maluchen’s face in class the other day during math lessons though Haldir failed to understand why his friend had disliked the subject. Trigonometry, he thought, is fascinating, not to mention very useful. I wonder why he does not find it interesting.
Meanwhile, he easily located the scroll and waved his thanks to the librarian before carrying the fragile object to a table next to a west-facing window.
Soon, he would be able to answer Orophin’s cry for help!
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