Not This Day - An Inkling Updated 03-28-10

[Linaewen]

I see this is nominated for a MEFA, whoo hoo! I shall save my reading of it for over then.

[Dínelleth]

I'm looking forward to your reviewing!

[Dínelleth]

Not This Day – Chapter 12

Now Éomer and the Dúnedain had decided that it was not necessary for a guard to watch over the Nazgûl during their search for suitable pyre wood since they felt sure no wild scavengers would bother such a tainted corpse. However, Gandalf thought otherwise when he and Aragorn returned to stand where it had fallen.

“Those fools! Apparently I must also remind wilderness savvy men that a forest such as this one could still harbor scavengers looking for a meal no matter how foul it is. Now we will have to waste time searching for the corpse’s whereabouts,” the wizard grumped while he watched Aragorn go down on one knee next to the impression of the fell man’s body left in the low ground hugging plants.

“Scavengers did not make off with it since I know of none that would leave all of this dust behind,” the former Ranger said as he carefully touched the thin layer of harmless gray fluff, which coated the flattened plants and Legolas’ arrow. “While I was tending the injured in the Houses of Healing I overheard Lady Éowyn describing to Éomer how the Witch King’s body collapsed inward on itself until it was nothing more then a pile of dust much like this although it happened shortly after she had stabbed it. Even the mace used by the Witch King had turned to dust. Ah, yes see there! This Nazgûl’s sword has followed suit,” he added after a brief search for the weapon to one side of the impression where it had come to rest.

Instantly the wizard proceeded to bop in a reprimanding way the top of the man’s head with the top of his staff.

“Ouch! What in Middle-earth was that for?” he asked while he gently rubbed the now sore spot with one hand the same time he looked up at his friend.

“That was for your not telling me sooner about the Witch King turning into dust!”

“When this Nazgûl did not do that right away I thought it would not because of its reverting back to its human side. That was why I kept quiet and agreed with your idea of burning it instead,” Aragorn said a bit defensively.

“I thought I heard you two over here. Hey where did the Nazgûl’s body go?” Éomer exclaimed as he emerged from the trees off to one side and walked over to them.

“To dust it would seem,” Gandalf said irritably. Then he proceeded to bop the Future King of Rohan in the same manner as he had done to Aragorn.

“Ouch! Hey! What was that for?” the man yelped while he also gently rubbed at a similar new sore spot.

“That’s for not telling me what your sister had told you about the Witch King turning into dust after her brilliant swordsmanship.”

“Oh that! I…ah…forgot about it…”

Aragorn grinned while he stood up. “My friend I think you have driven home your point about us telling you what we know in a timely fashion!” he said to the wizard.

“Good! I hate to repeat myself!”

“Well at least he didn’t turn us into something unnatural,” Éomer, teased which quickly earned him a stern look from the wizard although his blue eyes twinkled with merriment.

“It’s not too late for me to do that you know,” Gandalf shot back.

“Perhaps I should let the Dúnedain know we will no longer need all of that pyre wood since I’m the only one who knows where they are at,” Éomer then added while he adopted a mock expression of fear before he took a step backwards.

“You should,” the wizard agreed wholeheartedly. “I for one have had enough of this place and could use some time elsewhere with my pipe while I tell everyone else what has transpired here with the Nazgûl’s body.”

“ARAGORN WHERE ARE YOU?” Legolas’ fear filled cry suddenly shattered the silence of the woods around the trio.

Without hesitation, the man left his companions at a run and soon was dropping down onto his knees beside the wild-eyed elf who was trying to sit up despite the pain this was causing him.

“Don’t move Mellon nin! You need to stay still. Now what is wrong?” he said in a soothing tone despite his growing alarm over this sudden change for the worse. Then he restrained the Prince’s movement with a firm hand on his shoulder.

“He isn’t dead Aragorn!” Legolas gasped out as he sank back onto his grass tick. Then his wild eyes met the former Ranger’s concerned ones. “I saw him…killing you here with your own sword!”

“Who did you see?”

“Sauron only he was not a flaming eye…instead he appeared in his earlier dark form…the one before Isildur severed the ring from his hand.”

Aragorn sighed in relief. “My friend you were only having a nightmare! Frodo and Sam’s bravery on Mount Doom has seen to it that Lord Sauron is indeed gone.”

“This was no nightmare! He is here and means to kill you!”

“Laddie it had to be a nightmare since you were soundly asleep. Merry and Pippin can back me up on that,” Gimli gently added.

Now this did not pacify Legolas. “Aragorn please…you need to leave here this minute!”

The man shook his head. “I’m not moving until tomorrow. Hopefully by then you have rested enough and can withstand the rough road we must cross up ahead.”

“It will be too late by then!”

“Legolas calm down! You are not helping yourself any!”

“Protect him Elbereth Gilthoniel! He will not listen to me!”

“Legolas that is not necessary!”

“Calm yourself Master Elf! I would know if Sauron was here and I can say with great certainty that he is not present,” Gandalf firmly interjected as he stopped alongside the future Gondorian King once he and Éomer had finally caught up to him.

“Breathe this in,” Aragorn then ordered while he held under his friend’s nose a few large athelas leaves that he had brought out from is nearby bag and had crushed in the palm of his hand so their soothing aroma would be released.

For several seconds Legolas stubbornly refused to do that. However, he discovered that an aroma such as that one was like catnip to his spent body and mind and soon he was taking it in willingly.

Aragorn smiled in relief at that and it grew broader when the elf closed his eyes and fell asleep.

“I didn’t know elves had nightmares,” Sam whispered while the man discarded the athelas off to one side. Then he carefully straightened out the blanket covering his friend.

“They do although not as often as everyone else. I suspect this one is the result of the trauma surrounding his wounding.”

“It is most fortuitous for us that Legolas was only dreaming. If Sauron had managed to somehow survive the destruction of his ring who knows what new devilry he would cause besides trying to kill you,” Gandalf said in an aside to Aragorn once the man stood up.

“My friend don’t waste anymore time thinking about that. I feel utterly confident that we will enjoy days of peace from now on.”

To Be Continued...

[Tari]

"I feel utterly confident that we will enjoy days of peace from now on.”

Why do I doubt Aragorn's words? Maybe because trouble always seems to find them.

(As you can see, I'm a little behind in my reading.)

[Dínelleth]

No problemo Tari! Read when you can. I'm a patient elf.

Your right about the trouble.

[Dínelleth]

Not This Day – Chapter 13

The Dúnedain rangers stood and listened to the ominous silence blanketing the denser and darker section of woods around them shortly after they had entered it on their search for suitable pyre wood for the Nazgûl’s body. Then a black mist began to form and swirl in the gap between the trees before the men.

“What devilry is that? I thought the Prince of Mirkwood had said no evil lingers here now,” one of them whispered.

“He did. Perhaps that mist occurs naturally within these strange woods. Never have I seen one so devoid of downed timber larger then slender branches,” another said.

“Run!” a third ranger warned when the mist suddenly coalesced into a tall ghostly figure clad in black armor and wielding a large mace which it fanned the weapon at the men.

Instantly the hurricane strength gust of wind this generated sent the men flying backwards through the air and their cries of dismay abruptly stopped when they slammed into either a tree trunk or the ground.

Lord Sauron let out a hissing laugh of pleasure. “You and that pathetic excuse for a King have not stopped me! And once I have had the pleasure of running that infernal re-forged sword through his heart, the world of men will then feel my wrath!”

After that, the dark being reverted back to a swirling black mist before fading totally from the dazed and bruised rangers’ sight.

Meanwhile back in the camp Aragorn had a most unusual problem connected in a literal way with Legolas.

“I’ve heard of sleep walking and in some cases sleep eating but never have I heard of sleep grabbing!” he whispered in amazement to Gandalf and Éomer while they all looked down at the firm grip the elf had on the former Ranger’s right ankle.

The wizard and the future King of Rohan grinned at their companion’s humorous predicament.

“I suspect he is still feeling in a subconscious way the aftermath of his nightmare. Therefore, you should indulge his need to know you are still alive and safe by staying here next to him while Éomer and I go find the Dúnedain rangers,” Gandalf suggested.

“Judging from the tightness of his grip I really don’t have much of a choice but to stay since I am loath to drag him after me.”

“We won’t be gone long. The rangers agreed to stay in the area where I had left them while I returned to make sure no scavengers were feasting on the Nazgûl’s body even though it was breaking wind like a colicky horse. That was the reason why we left no one behind to watch it in case you were wondering. The smell was just too foul even if you stood upwind from it,” Éomer explained.

Aragorn gave Gandalf a quick glance to see what the wizard’s reaction would be to this since he had earlier railed against this. However, when the man saw nothing but a neutral expression he turned his attention back to Éomer.

“Well then you two had better get going. Fortunately any wood the rangers may have gathered by now can still be used in the campfires so at least their efforts will not be wasted,” he said.

“Don’t wander off,” Éomer teased before he began to lead Gandalf towards the woods.

Aragorn snorted before he softly chuckled.

“It probably is best that Legolas has you staying here. You look like you could use some rest yourself,” Frodo whispered to him from his seat next to Sam on their grass tick.

“It has been a while since I had some time to sit with my pipe,” he said while he grinned down at the hobbit. “Hopefully Legolas will let me do that.”

Fortunately, the elf’s hold had started to relax by then so Aragorn could easily remove his friend’s hand and sit down next to him with his long legs stretched out comfortably before him. Then he placed it back on the elf’s bow. However, Legolas seemed to have other ideas and soon he had a tight hold on the former Rangers cloak.

“Mellon nin what am I going to do with you?” he asked softly while shaking his head at the elf’s continual stubbornness even when asleep.

“Come with me you two rascals,” Gimli whispered to Merry and Pippin. “We can help Aragorn by spreading the word amongst the men in the army about the plan to stay here until tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you my friends for stepping in like that!” a grateful Aragorn said while he leaned back against the wagon wheel behind him. “However, if anyone asks why just say the Prince needs to rest due to his wound since no one else need know about his nightmare,” he added.

Unfortunately, for the Dúnedain they already knew and they still were recovering their scattered wits when Éomer and Gandalf found them.

“What in Middle-earth has happened here?” the wizard demanded from the nearest ranger whom he helped to steady with his two hands while the man slowly struggled to his feet.

“Sauron is back and still powerful judging from how easily his ghostly form tossed all of us around. He also has a murderous intent towards Aragorn involving the use of Andúril! The King must be warned now!” the ranger gasped out after he tentatively placed his full weight on his tree bruised left thigh.

“Don’t worry he has been warned already. Did Sauron appear tall and clad in the black armor he wore when Isildur sliced off his ring finger?”

“Yes he did! Wait a minute! How did you know about that and how could Aragorn already know when no one has told him about this yet?”

“There is one other who had an earlier encounter with the Dark Lord which revealed the same murderous intent although physically it was not as painful for him,” a dismayed Gandalf said cryptically.

Now this had the man giving the wizard a puzzled look since he could not think of whom this other could be until he remembered how said wizard tended to speak in this less then informative fashion. After that, the ranger turned his attention to his left thigh as he tried to massage gently some of the soreness away.

However, Éomer did know and this had him feeling the same sense of dismay. “Let us hope we can prevent anymore of you know whose dream from happening!” he whispered in an aside to Gandalf before he ran after a dazed and grass stained ranger who had wandered further off into the woods.

“Can you walk?” the wizard asked the ranger next to him.

“Surprisingly yes considering how hard I hit that tree trunk over there.”

“Then let us check on your remaining companions to see if they are just as fortunate.”

By this time, Éomer had returned with the still dazed ranger who he steadied and guided gently with a hand on one of the man’s shoulders.

“I could use good stiff ale right now,” he said while he picked out some blades of grass lodged in his hair left over from his hard landing on the ground.

“Aragorn will need more than that to counter what lies ahead for him,” Gandalf mused as he skillfully changed the subject back to the menacing darkness waiting for the man.

“He has a wizard and everyone else to back him up,” Éomer said confidently.

“I’m not sure that will be enough,” the ranger with the sore thigh interjected. “Sauron tossed us rangers aside as if we were nothing but rag dolls to him.”

“Time will tell on that. For now, let us concentrate on helping the other rangers back to camp,” Gandalf suggested as he deftly turned the conversation away from any further mention of him for now since he was not sure his living wizard abilities would prove useful against Lord Sauron’s ghostly power.

To Be Continued...

[Dínelleth]

Not This Day – Chapter 14

Back in camp Aragorn smoked his pipe while he watched Legolas sleep next to him. By now, the elf’s hold on his cloak had relaxed enough so he could slip it free. However, he decided not to since there was no reason for him to move for the moment.

“How long do you think it will take Legolas to heal?” Frodo whispered.

“Elves generally heal faster than mortals if they can do so without their rest being disturbed. Unfortunately, we both know that has not been the case for our friend so I do not know how long it will take him to heal. Why do you ask?” the man whispered back.

“It bothers me to see him looking so vulnerable. It’s such a huge contrast to my memories I have of his prowess with a bow before I left the Fellowship.”

“I feel the same as you do Mr. Frodo,” Sam added.

“For me the feeling is two-fold. Never in my long friendship with Legolas have I seen him this way. Usually it is I who needs such tending to,” Aragorn said with a wry smile.

“If what I know unfortunately happens you will be beyond tending to,” Gandalf added in a hushed voice while he joined them. Then he told what had occurred between the Dúnedain rangers and Lord Sauron’s ghost.

“Are they alright?” the concerned former Ranger quickly asked.

“Aside from bumps, bruises, and dazed minds they are remarkably well off considering who they were facing. Speaking of which Lord Sauron had expressed to them the overwhelming desire to end your life in the same fashion Legolas saw in his dream.”

For a moment, Aragorn did not want to believe the last of the wizard’s words. Then he sighed in resignation since he knew his friend would not tell him this if it was not true.

“Looks like I will have to eat my earlier words to you about there being days of peace before us besides apologizing to Legolas for not believing him,” he said while he shooed a fly away from the Prince’s face.

“So how do we fight a ghost?” Frodo asked.

“We can’t if we use the conventional way judging from how easy the Army of the Dead defeated Mordor’s minions,” Aragorn answered thoughtfully. “Only the kingly power in Andúril can do it.”

“Surely Gandalf can help you,” the hobbit said.

“I wish I could say with all certainty that my magic will help. However, I cannot,” the wizard replied when he realized he now needed to speak up about this.

“Why can’t you?” the hobbit persisted.

“Frodo my magic is based on the world of the living and light while Lord Sauron’s is based on the world of the dead and darkness. Sometimes that can be more powerful due to its ability to instill a fear so strong that he can either paralyze your mind or bend it to his will with it.”

Aragorn snorted derisively. “There is nothing Lord Sauron can do to me now that will ever make me fear him.”

“What if he goes through someone else in order to get to you?” Gandalf asked cryptically.

Now the man was about to ask what the wizard meant when the answer to his question suddenly dawned on him.

“Are you telling me that he would use Legolas?”

“Our archer would be the logical choice due to his weakened condition which no doubt would create a higher level of fear within you if he was threatened with further harm.”

Aragorn gently covered the elf’s hand with his a caring smile now on his face while he watched his friend sleep.

“It also would create in me anger the likes of which Sauron has yet to see. An anger that would overcome his fear and together with Andúril I will then use to cast him out permanently from the world of the living!” he said with such loyal determination that it gave Frodo and Sam goose bumps.

“I wish we could help Strider and Legolas with this,” Sam whispered fervently to Frodo after the man and Gandalf began to talk about the best way they could post extra guards, which would in turn decrease the odds of Sauron going unnoticed before he reached the camp. This based on their assumption the fell being would take the direct approach since his ego would not let him sneak in.

“So do I Sam,” Frodo whispered back. Then he watched as Aragorn carefully lifted Legolas’ hand so he could tuck it back under the elf’s blanket before he stood up.

“Gandalf and I are going to see to posting of the extra guards. I doubt our elf here will wake while we are gone. However, if he does and worries over my whereabouts and safety just say I needed to have a private moment behind a bush and Gandalf agreed to stand guard so I could do it without any unsafe interruptions. Hopefully that will placate him until I can speak to him about the guards,” he said while winking down at the two hobbits.

Instantly this had them both grinning in amusement at Aragorn’s ingenious use of one of his body’s functions as a cover for his true whereabouts.

“Well Sam looks like we get to help after all although not in the way we first wanted,” Frodo whispered after the future King of Gondor and white wizard had left them.

“Speaking of a private moment I think I will actually need one of them Mr. Frodo,” the gardener quickly said before he jumped to his feet and trotted as fast as he could to the same bushy area Aragorn was supposedly at which was located on the other side of the camp.

Frodo’s grin broadened over his friend’s inability to withstand the power of suggestion in the words “private moment”. Then he settled back and waited for his return while he kept a dutiful eye on Legolas.

To Be Continued...

[Ringwraith-Wife]

In the past thirty odd years that I have been reading and now watching LOTR... I have to admit that never even once did I dwell on any of them "going potty". There must be an award of some kind for the breaking of new ground in a fanfic. Now I know what this emoticon REALLY represented.

[Dínelleth]

RW ~ Woot! Woot! I have broken new ground in fanfic!!!

Suffice it to say my muse and I are both flushed with pride over your positive reaction to it!

[Dínelleth]

Not This Day – Chapter 15 Part A

“I knew your independent thinking or “strangeness” would eventually be proven to be a benefit and not the bane like so many thought it would be Legolas son of Thranduil.”

Now the suddenness of hearing the Lady Galadriel’s soft voice in his right ear woke him up with a start. Then his eyes grew even wider as his shock grew when he actually saw her sitting next to him with her legs tuck gracefully under the white skirt of her gown while he now lay curled up on the Lawn’s sun warmed grass.

“Am I dreaming?” he asked as he tried to make sense of this amazing occurrence while the sunny warmth and cushiony grass eased further his tired and wounded body.

“Yes although not in the true meaning of the word.”

Legolas blinked as his shock quickly turned to confusion over her answer.

The Lady smiled like someone who is privy to knowing a secret.

“Do not concern yourself about whether this is a dream or not. In the scheme of things your knowing is of no use to you,” she explained while she gently tucked in behind his right ear some of his hair that had worked loose from his side braid.

“I take it then there is something about my “strangeness” that has warranted all of this?” he asked.

“Yes. Never before in the history of the Eldar has anyone thought to ask for help from our most beloved Valier on the behalf of a mortal as you have done. It has created quite a stir amongst them and the Valar to the point where they realized it would be necessary to send someone on their behalf to let you know that you have been heard.”

“Did it create enough of a stir that will lead to her helping?”

“I do not know. She said nothing about that.”

Suddenly Legolas felt absolutely of no help to Aragorn and because of that, his earlier fear over his friend’s safety returned twice fold. Something he allowed to show clearly in his eyes and within the lines of worry on his face.

The Lady smiled down at him while she caressed his brow in a motherly fashion.

“Just because she did not tell me she would help does not mean she will not. All of the Valier and Valar have an inclination to be maddeningly secretive at times when it comes to their actions,” she said soothingly.

Legolas sighed and closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself. “It would have made it much easier on me. I don’t know how much more of this I can endure,” he suddenly admitted his tone of voice akin to someone who is too weary to continue with what they are doing.

The Lady placed a comforting hand over one of his. “Endure it you must like you did for Aragorn shortly after your wounding. I have a feeling he will need you now more than ever.”

Now this caused Legolas to reopen his eyes. “How can that be? I am physically of no use to him what so ever!” he said in a tone of voice full of frustration.

“Sometimes just being present in the time of great emotional need can be as powerful as a wielded weapon,” the Lady patiently explained.

Suddenly both elves heard the faint sound of men’s voices raised in alarm off in the distance. Then it surrounded them.

“Our time here is ending. Now remember no matter what you see or hear from this point on all you need to do is lay still,” she reminded before she leaned down and lightly kissed Legolas on his forehead.

After that, she vanished along with the pleasant surroundings like a dissipating mist.

To Be Continued...

[Dínelleth]

Not This Day - Chapter 15 Part B

However, when Legolas re-entered the waking world several seconds later his mind quickly grew disoriented as to where he was since he now lay on his left side curled up on the forest litter in the dimly lit center within a swirling black mist. Eventually a new pain above his right eye and the sensation of something warm all the way down the right side of his face made its presence known, as did the familiar pain in his wound.

“Leave him alone Sauron!” Aragorn’s anger filled voice suddenly demanded from the elf’s right side before the blade of Andúril began to slice through the mist there in a swift motion.

“That infernal re-forged sword cannot possibly hold sway over me!” a genuinely surprised Sauron exclaimed when the sword’s speed slowed as it passed through something solid hidden within it. After that, all the mist quickly vanished.

Now this left a clear view of the glade he was in and of the star-studded night sky. It was to the latter Legolas turned his attention to when he heard his name whispered softly in the nightly breeze moving through the tops of the trees. That was when he saw what he first thought to be a shower of shooting stars passing overhead while the disorientation in his mind faded. However, when they began to slow and then swirl around with more of them joining in he realized they could not be the stars. As to what they were, he had no further clue since he had never seen anything like this before.

“It does and you will be defeated by it!” the former ranger firmly continued on to the empty air all around him while he pivoted about on one heel with the sword held at the ready. Then he dropped his guard for a few scant seconds in order to glance down at Legolas and his anger flared anew when he saw the jagged cut and fresh blood on the elf’s face.

Suddenly a fist-sized rock flew in from seemingly out of nowhere and hit the man’s sword hand so hard that the shock of this unexpected turn of events along with the intense pain forced him drop Andúril as if it were too hot to hold. After that, he cradled his hand in the other while he tried to will away the pain.

“You were saying?” Sauron intoned sarcastically before the former ruler of Mordor materialized standing clad in his black armor. After that, the sword floated up from the ground and over to the open gloved hand that had beckoned it.

Then with unnatural speed, the fell being lunged forward as it held the sword high in preparation to strike the man down. Fortunately, Aragorn managed to avoid the deadly blow although just barely while he stumbled over Legolas and then righted himself when he quickly back away from it.

That in turn also woke the elf from the soothing hypnotic effect of the swirling stars.

Meanwhile the man had swiftly stepped forward over him and had grabbed the hilt of Andúril above Sauron’s grasp with his uninjured hand.

“I was saying you will be defeated by it!” the future King affirmed while he did his best to free the sword for himself by pulling back on it with all of his strength.

Sauron laughed while he tightened his grip. “Fool do you really think you can simply take the sword from me?”

“Yes!”

“…Now remember no matter what you see or hear from this point on all you need to do is lay still,” the Lady’s last words echoed in Legolas’ mind when his fear for Aragorn turned to panic while he watched his friend and the fell being now engaged in a tug-of-war with deadly consequence for the man if he lost. Then his panic grew when he began to wonder if this was the prelude to what he had seen in his earlier vision.

In the meantime, this tug-of-war led to both participants spinning around for several seconds as each one tugged and pulled until the fell being “stepped” through Legolas’ heart since like most ghosts his body did not have any real substance to back up what the eye perceived to be.

However, this did not keep the fell being from loudly cursing while he quickly withdrew his foot as if the elf’s body had scalded it. As for the elf, he let out a loud cry of distress from having such pure evil close to his fëa.

“Sometimes just being present in the time of great emotional need can be as powerful as a wielded weapon,” Legolas then heard the Lady’s voice in his mind while he watched as his cry spurred Aragorn on by giving him the extra strength he needed for him to pull his sword out of Sauron’s grasp.

Suddenly the “stars” he had watched earlier began to “rain” down in the hundreds. Nor was it long before they began to buzz and swarm around Sauron much like angry wasps except for the one that landed on the elf’s nose and made him cross-eyed while he tried to get a closer look at it.

“Sauron is not too powerful to be dealt with this night Legolas son of Thranduil,” Elbereth Gilthoniel reassured in a warm and caring tone of voice from within the light before it suddenly winked out which surprised the elf and made him blink.

Then the two friends watched as a now furious Sauron shooed and swatted at the “stars” in a futile effort to keep them away from him.

“Stay away from me!” the fell being cried out this time in fear when they began to invade his body. Eventually the glow from their collective light began to overcome his ghostly substance.

“Your time here in Middle-earth is over with Sauron,” Elbereth Gilthoniel’s voice issued from the air around the fell being. This time it held none of its earlier warmth and caring. Instead, a cold hardness now resided there, which strongly suggested no mercy, lay in store for the former Maia. “Come it is time for you to atone for your misdeeds.”

“NOOOOOOO!” a terrified Sauron had time to wail before his completely glowing form suddenly vanished as if someone had snuffed out a candle’s flame with a single breath.

To Be Continued...

[Harthad]

Woah! That was an intense part, Dinelleth! Great job!

[Dínelleth]

Thank you Harthad!

It was just as intense to write. I lost count as to how many rewrites I had to do for this part.

[Silivren Ithildin]

It's not the number of re-writes that is importent. It is the end result! Wonderful, Din!

Sil

[Dínelleth]

True enough Sil!

Thank you for reading!